Calculators
Scratch Tickets vs Lottery Draws: Return Compared
Scratch tickets or lotto? Compare what share of each dollar goes back as prizes, how often a ticket wins anything, and how the prize structure differs.
Of $20.00 spent, the products below pay back between $3.10 and $13.43 on average. The rest is not paid back as prizes.
exact return of the paytable, best option, 50.0% to 67.2% by option. Any prize: 1 in 10.3
exact return of the paytable, best option, 58.2% to 65.0% by option. Any prize: 1 in 15.0
payout on the fact sheet, reproduced by our code. Any prize: 1 in 4.1
payout on the fact sheet, reproduced by our code. Any prize: 1 in 3.8
published return, reproduced by our code. Any prize: 1 in 3.5
published return, reproduced by our code. Any prize: 1 in 3.5
payout on the fact sheet, reproduced by our code. Any prize: 1 in 3.8
exact return of the paytable, best option, 50.0% to 62.1% by option. Any prize: 1 in 6.2
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 3.7
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 3.7
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 10.0
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 10.0
exact return of the paytable, best option, 52.0% to 56.4% by option. Any prize: 1 in 57.1
exact return of the paytable, best option, 42.0% to 55.1% by option. Any prize: 1 in 12.7
exact return of the paytable, best option, 42.0% to 55.1% by option. Any prize: 1 in 12.7
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 4.5
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 9.2
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 4.1
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 1,000
exact return of the paytable, best option, 48.0% to 50.0% by option. Any prize: 1 in 10,000
exact return of the paytable, best option, 48.0% to 50.0% by option. Any prize: 1 in 1,000
exact return of the paytable, best option, 48.0% to 50.0% by option. Any prize: 1 in 10,000
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 100.0
exact return of the paytable, best option, 48.0% to 50.0% by option. Any prize: 1 in 10,000
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 32.3
share of each play set aside for prizes, from the game conditions. Any prize: 1 in 5.8
share of each play set aside for prizes, from the game conditions. Any prize: 1 in 6.6
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 47.4
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 10.0
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 3.9
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 10.0
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 9.1
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 6.5
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 1,000
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 10,000
return published by the lottery. Any prize: 1 in 5.1
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 273.1
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 273.1
exact return of the paytable, best option. Any prize: 1 in 273.1
Scratch tickets pay back more of each dollar, mostly in small prizes and free tickets; lotto draws pay less back, with rare large prizes. Every figure is an average over all tickets: one ticket usually wins nothing.
Lotto games whose return depends on the jackpot and is not published are left out.
How it is calculated
Source: OLG · OLG · OLG · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · OLG · OLG · OLG · OLG · OLG · WCLC · WCLC · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · Loto-Québec · BCLC · OLG · WCLC · Loto-Québec · Atlantic Lottery · Atlantic Lottery · OLG · WCLC · WCLC · Loto-Québec · BCLC · Atlantic Lottery · Atlantic Lottery · OLG · OLG · OLG · OLG · WCLC · WCLC · WCLC · WCLC · Atlantic Lottery · OLG
Scratch tickets by return →Return by lottery game →Keno vs lottery →
Return by product type
| Product | Share of sales paid as prizes | Odds of any prize |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch – OLG INSTANT game A | 63.0% | 1 in 3.78 |
| Scratch – OLG INSTANT game B | 65.0% | 1 in 4.11 |
| Scratch – OLG INSTANT game C | 64.9% | 1 in 3.81 |
| Keno – OLG Daily Keno, best spot choice | 55.1% | Depends on spots picked |
| Lotto Max | 48.0% | 1 in 5.83 |
Scratch payout is theoretical: cash prizes at launch, all tickets sold, all prizes claimed, free tickets not counted. Figures come from the official prize tables.
What return per dollar means
Return = total prizes paid ÷ total ticket sales
Example: For example, a scratch game returning 65.0% pays that share of all sales as prizes. The rest is not paid back.
Average loss per ticket
Average loss = ticket cost − (ticket cost × return)
Example: For example, Lotto Max returns 48.0%: on average, more than half of each dollar spent does not come back.
Frequent small wins vs rare big ones
Scratch tickets
- Odds of any prize near 1 in 3.78
- Most prizes are small – often the ticket price or a free ticket
- Top prize is fixed and printed in the prize table
- Some prizes may already be claimed when you buy
- Result shown at once
Lotto draws (Lotto Max)
- Odds of any prize are 1 in 5.83
- Prize tiers run from 3 of 7 up to 7 of 7
- Jackpot is set by the lottery operator (ILC) and announced before the draw
- Top prize is far rarer and far larger
- Result comes only after the draw
Terms on this page
- Prize payout
- The share of all ticket sales a game pays out as prizes. Also called return to player.
- Odds of any prize
- How often a ticket wins something, from the smallest prize to the top prize.
- Free ticket
- A prize that gives a new ticket instead of cash. Not counted in the scratch prize payout.
- Theoretical payout
- Payout calculated at launch, assuming every ticket is sold and every prize is claimed.
Compare more games
Sources
- OLG – Daily Keno past results and odds · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Lotto Max Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – $250 Frenzy instant game 2584, player’s guide fact sheet (2026) · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – 7X Multiplier instant game 2568, player’s guide fact sheet (2026) · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Lucky 7s instant game 2594, player’s guide fact sheet (2026) · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Daily Keno Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – Lotto Max Game Conditions, in effect 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Loto-Québec – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max, en vigueur le 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
Do scratch tickets have better odds than the lottery?
For any prize, yes, in these examples: the OLG scratch games show 1 in 3.78 to 1 in 4.11, and Lotto Max shows 1 in 5.83. Most of those scratch prizes are small or a free ticket.
Which returns more per dollar, scratch or lotto?
In these examples, scratch games return 63.0% to 65.0% of sales as prizes, and Lotto Max returns 48.0%. Both return less than what is spent, so the average result is a loss.
Why do scratch tickets pay a prize more often?
Scratch prize tables include many small prizes and free tickets. Lotto Max puts a large part of its prize money into the jackpot and top tiers, so prizes of any size come less often.
Is the scratch payout percentage what I will get back?
No. It is theoretical: cash prizes at launch, assuming all tickets are sold and all prizes claimed, with free tickets not counted. Some prizes may already be claimed, and one ticket's result is random.