Lowest-Value New York
Scratch-Offs Right Now
As of , Scratch IQ surfaces the bottom 10 active New York scratch-off games by current EV/Dollar — the "dead zone" tickets where the larger prizes have already been claimed.
A low EV/Dollar means the statistical return per $1 spent has fallen below typical launch-day payout percentages, usually because the headline jackpots have been claimed but tickets are still in circulation. See the methodology for the formula and per-state data sources.
Price
$1
EV/Dollar
$0.01
Top Prize
$5,555
Current EV/Dollar of $0.01 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Headline top prize $5,555.
Price
$2
EV/Dollar
$0.36
Top Prize
$20,000
Current EV/Dollar of $0.36 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 54% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$2
EV/Dollar
$0.37
Top Prize
$20,000
Current EV/Dollar of $0.37 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 100% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$1
EV/Dollar
$0.44
Top Prize
$500
Current EV/Dollar of $0.44 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 50% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$1
EV/Dollar
$0.50
Top Prize
$7,000
Current EV/Dollar of $0.50 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 100% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$10
EV/Dollar
$0.51
Top Prize
$500
Current EV/Dollar of $0.51 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 34% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$1
EV/Dollar
$0.52
Top Prize
$5,000
Current EV/Dollar of $0.52 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 32% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$5
EV/Dollar
$0.54
Top Prize
$500,000
Current EV/Dollar of $0.54 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 100% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$5
EV/Dollar
$0.54
Top Prize
$250
Current EV/Dollar of $0.54 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Top prizes depleting 46% faster than tickets overall.
Price
$1
EV/Dollar
$0.54
Top Prize
$999
Current EV/Dollar of $0.54 per dollar spent — among the lowest in New York. Headline top prize $999.
Source: New York Lottery
Common questions about New York scratch-offs
What makes a New York scratch-off a "dead zone"?
A dead-zone game has a low remaining EV/Dollar — typically below $0.50 — because the larger prizes have already been claimed even though tickets are still being sold. The published overall odds stay the same, but the expected return per $1 is now much lower than the launch-day payout percentage.
How often is the New York dead-zone list updated?
Every day. Scratch IQ collects New York Lottery remaining-prize data once daily and recomputes EV/Dollar for every active game. A game can move on or off this list as prize counts change or as it transitions to ended status when the New York Lottery removes it from circulation.
Why has the lowest-ranked New York game's EV dropped so low?
Once a game's top prizes have been claimed, the remaining tickets pay only smaller prizes, so the expected return per $1 spent falls. Some games stay in retail circulation for months after their headline prizes are gone, which is when EV/Dollar tends to trend toward the lower end of the range.
What is a healthy EV/Dollar baseline for New York scratch-offs?
Most state lottery scratch-offs publish overall payout percentages in the $0.60–$0.75 per dollar range at launch. A current EV/Dollar at or above the launch payout is healthy; a current EV/Dollar well below the launch payout is the signal Scratch IQ surfaces here. The methodology page explains the formula and notes the per-game data published by nylottery.ny.gov.
Scratch IQ is not affiliated with the New York Lottery. Analytics are for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Play responsibly. 18+. See responsible gaming.