# Best Scratch-Off Tickets by State: Expected Value Ranking (`jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate`) Actor

Rank scratch-off games across states by expected value, top prizes left and % of prizes remaining. Official prize reports from TX, NY, CO, NM, IN, CA and PA in one schema. Filter by state, price and prizes left. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate.md
- **Developed by:** [JackpotLedger](https://apify.com/jackpotledger) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Automation, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $15.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Best Scratch-Off Tickets by State: Expected Value Ranking

Compare every active scratch-off game across several state lotteries in one table. Each game comes with its prize table, top prizes left, the share of prizes still unclaimed and, where the state publishes enough detail, an estimated expected value per ticket.

### What you get

One record per game with state, game number and name, ticket price, top prize and top prizes left, prizes printed and remaining by tier, prize value remaining, overall odds, estimated tickets left, expected value per ticket, expected return % and the return at launch.

### Who is it for

- Lottery apps and websites showing the best tickets to buy
- Media covering scratch-off games
- Analysts comparing lottery prize structures across states

### How to use it

Choose states (or all), sort by expected return, top prizes left or % of prizes left, and filter by price or games with top prizes left.

### Coverage and freshness

Texas, New York, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Washington today, with more states added over time. Each state publishes different details; expected value is only computed where the full prize table with remaining counts is published (Texas, California, New Mexico and part of Indiana).

### Pricing

You pay per game returned. If nothing matches your filters you get one explanation row and you are not charged. Free Apify plans get up to 10 games per run.

### Responsible play

This actor reports official lottery and gaming data. It does not predict results and nothing here can guarantee a win. Play responsibly; in the US, help is available at 1-800-GAMBLER.

### FAQ

**How is expected value estimated?** Prize value still unclaimed divided by the estimated tickets left, assuming prizes are claimed in proportion to tickets sold. It is an estimate, not a promise.

**Why is expected value empty for some games?** The state does not publish remaining counts for every prize tier or the ticket price for that game.

# Actor input Schema

## `states` (type: `array`):

States to include. Leave empty for all supported states (Texas, New York, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Washington).

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Order of the returned games.

## `minTicketPrice` (type: `integer`):

Only games at or above this price.

## `maxTicketPrice` (type: `integer`):

Only games at or below this price.

## `onlyWithTopPrizesLeft` (type: `boolean`):

Skip games where every top prize has been claimed.

## `onlyAllTopPrizesLeft` (type: `boolean`):

Only games where no top prize has been claimed yet.

## `gameName` (type: `string`):

Optional text filter on the game name.

## `gameNumbers` (type: `array`):

Optional list of official game numbers.

## `maxGames` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of games to return.

## `includeOdds` (type: `boolean`):

Read each game page where needed (Texas, Colorado). Turn off for a faster run.

## `minExpectedReturn` (type: `integer`):

Only games whose estimated expected return is at least this percent of the ticket price.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sortBy": "expected_return",
  "onlyWithTopPrizesLeft": false,
  "onlyAllTopPrizesLeft": false,
  "maxGames": 100,
  "includeOdds": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,jackpotledger/scratch-off-ev-multistate"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/sUiFHgigm5hnLaRHP/builds/qSu52BeN9HXNwzR9c/openapi.json