These are 13 of the worst Texas Lottery scratch off tickets based only on our experience.
This is opinion and information, not advice of any kind. Please read our disclaimers
As I say so often, we lose more than we win and we don’t recommend that anyone scratch tickets.
But if you already do so, please play responsibly.
That’s what this list is to us, a “responsible” way to track and log what we play and what the outcomes are, based on what the Texas Lottery recommends for its players:
- gamble “only for fun/entertainment” and “not as a way to make money.”
- plan how much we’re willing to spend before playing.
- track how much we spend while playing.
- and to “understand the odds” of scratch off tickets.
Because these numbers are all so small relative to Texas’ total scratch off ticket sales—$6.644-Billion in fiscal year 2024 alone—they are statistically insignificant, and you should please not go out and buy the tickets that look good on this list—or at least not based solely on the data here.
But for us (@OptionMonkey) as individual players, it feels responsible and worthwhile to track these numbers.
And helpful to more serious players for us to share them.
Criteria
This list only includes Texas tickets that:
- Cost $10.00 or more each.
- We played at least 10 of.
- We’ve lost the largest percent (not volume) of the money we spent on.
Disclaimers
- This is only our own personal and very limited experience; yours may be completely different.
- We can make no promises, guarantees, claims, or suggestions of any kind with regard to this data.
- We do not recommend anyone scratch tickets. We encourage responsible play for those who do.
Our Top-13 Worst Texas Scratch Off Tickets:
1. $5,000,000 Ultimate: -70% ROI
- $50.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.64**
- Played 20X
- Spent: $1,000
- Won $300
- Net ROI: – 70%
2. Limited Edition Mega Loteria: -63.33% ROI
- $10.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.54**
- Played 15X
- Spent $150
- Won $55
- Net ROI – 63.33%
3. $750 Million Winner’s Circle: -61.73% ROI
- $30.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 2.88**
- Played 27X
- Spent $810
- Won $310
- Net ROI – 61.73%
4. $500,000 Winnings: -57.14% ROI
- $10.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 4.07**
- Played 21X
- Spent $210
- Won $90
- Net ROI – 57.14%
5. 200X: -55.88% ROI
- $10.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.8
- Played 34X
- Spent $340
- Won $150
- Net ROI – 55.88%
6. Hit $1,000,000: -53.57% ROI
- $20.00 ticket.
- Odds 1 in 3.41.
- Played 14 times
- Spent $280.00
- Won $130.00
- Net ROI – 53.57%
- Link to Official Game Data on the Texas Lottery website.
7. Maximum Millions: -46.67% ROI
- $30.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.93.
- Played 10X
- Spent $300
- Won $160
- Net ROI – 46.67%
8. $1,000,000 Diamond Riches: -42.86% ROI
- $50.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.49
- Played 28X
- Spent $1,400
- Won $800
- Net ROI: – 42.86%
9. LUXE: -36.36% ROI
- $50.00 ticket
- Overall Odds in 3.48**
- Played 55X
- Spent $2,750
- Won $1,750
- Net ROI -36.36%
10. Million Dollar Loteria: -37.8% ROI
- $20.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.29**
- Played 41X
- Spent $820
- Won $510
- Net ROI – 37.80%
11. $250,000 50X Cashword: -27.27% ROI
- $10.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.56
- Played 22X
- Spent $220
- Won $160
- Net ROI – 27.27%
12. $20 Million Supreme: -23.08% ROI
- $100.00 ticket
- Overall Odds 1 in 3.49**
- Played 13X
- Spent $1,300
- Won $1,000
- Net ROI: – 23.08%
13. 500X Loteria Spectacular: -22.62% ROI
- $50.00 ticket.
- Odds 1 in 3.21
- Played 42 times.
- Spent $2,100.00
- Won $1,625.00
- Net ROI – 22.62%
- Links to Official Game Data on the Texas Lottery website:
- Game 2435 (Black Ticket 500X Loteria Spectacular) and Game 2518 (Silver Ticket 500X Loteria Spectacular)
- Note there are 2 tickets with this same name and price and we’ve combined our experience with each for this list.
On a More Positive Note…
We’ve had a few tickets with a net positive ROI, where we made back more than we spent.
Here’s a list of those Positive ROI percentages from worst to best.
Each of these amounts are a profit on tickets that cost more than $10.00 each and that we played more than 10 of:
- Net ROI + 2.03%
- Net ROI + 4.17%
- Net ROI + 5.26%
- Net ROI + 10.00%
- Net ROI + 23.53%
- Net ROI + 27.78%
- Net ROI + 31.58%
- Net ROI + 60.00%
- Net ROI + 66.67% — this is Game No. 2515, $100 Loteria Supreme, on which we hit our first and only Claimer (of $1,000.00) on Ticket 15.
Despite this, we lose more than we win. No part of what we do is net profitable. We do not recommend it.
We’ve scratch over 1,000 tickets and have hit just 1 ‘Claimer’
An Anecdote FWIW
At one point we played the $20.00 ticket, “$85,000 Explosion” and lost 14 times in a row—9 tickets from one pack, 5 from another.
That was tough and a huge turnoff from playing the ticket again.
But we did, for whatever reason and…. the ticket turned into a net positive for us, of +31.58 percent ROI.
“$85,000 Explosion” ($20.00): + 31.58% ROI
- Odds 1 in 9.21
- Played 19 times
- Spent $380.00
- Won $500.00
- Net ROI + 31.58%
- Link to Official Game Data on the Texas Lottery website.
I share this anecdote mostly to point out the weaknesses in our data for a list like this: Had we compiled this list a month ago, the ROI on this ticket would be the very worst, at – 100%. Yet it’s now + 31.58% ROI for us.
And this goes both ways, with profitable tickets becoming net losses as we play them more.
Good luck if you scratch.
Please play responsibly.
…
“**Overall odds are based on the End of Production Prize Structure.” — Texas Lottery website.
