MEGA BUCKS — $5 North Carolina Scratch-Off #947
MEGA BUCKS (#947) is a $5 North Carolina scratch-off. As of September 12, 2026 it ranks #— of 58 active games on current payout (63.2%, $3.16 expected back per ticket) and #— of 14 $5 games, #— on any-prize odds (1 in 4.47) and #— on top-prize odds (1 in 577,778). Since launch the payout has fallen 5.7 points (68.9% at launch) and the any-prize odds have worsened 2.7% (1 in 4.35 at launch). 2 of 9 top prizes of $200,000 remain, and we estimate 1,155,555 tickets are still unsold (89.6% sold). MEGA BUCKS is no longer on sale in North Carolina; the figures below are final as of September 12, 2026 and prizes can be claimed until December 3, 2026.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in MEGA BUCKS, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. Across all tiers, 258,296 of 2,551,371 prizes (10.1%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | 1 in 1,234,580 | 1 in 577,778 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 22.2% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 617,290 | 1 in 1,155,555 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 5.6% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 154,323 | 1 in 115,556 | 72 | 62 | 10 | 13.9% |
| $500 | 1 in 23,392 | 1 in 29,630 | 475 | 436 | 39 | 8.2% |
| $100 | 1 in 804.1 | 1 in 1,088 | 13,818 | 12,756 | 1,062 | 7.7% |
| $50 | 1 in 66.7 | 1 in 90.0 | 166,625 | 153,785 | 12,840 | 7.7% |
| $25 | 1 in 30.0 | 1 in 38.3 | 370,211 | 340,068 | 30,143 | 8.1% |
| $15 | 1 in 33.3 | 1 in 39.8 | 333,660 | 304,599 | 29,061 | 8.7% |
| $10 | 1 in 15.0 | 1 in 16.5 | 740,624 | 670,799 | 69,825 | 9.4% |
| $5 | 1 in 12.0 | 1 in 10.0 | 925,859 | 810,546 | 115,313 | 12.5% |
| All prizes | 1 in 4.35 | 1 in 4.47 | 2,551,371 | 2,293,075 | 258,296 | 10.1% |
How MEGA BUCKS has moved
Recent claims of $1,000 and up
- September 17, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 25 remain.
- September 12, 2025: one $10,000 prize was claimed; 5 remain.
- August 22, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 26 remain.
- August 12, 2025: one $200,000 prize was claimed; 4 remain.
- August 12, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 27 remain.
- July 15, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 28 remain.
- July 12, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 29 remain.
- July 9, 2025: one $200,000 prize was claimed; 5 remain.
- June 19, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 30 remain.
- June 7, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 31 remain.
- May 22, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 32 remain.
- May 13, 2025: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 33 remain.
MEGA BUCKS: common questions
- How many $200,000 prizes are left in MEGA BUCKS?
- 2 of 9 as of September 12, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 577,778.
- What are the odds of winning anything on MEGA BUCKS?
- 1 in 4.47 today, compared with 1 in 4.35 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 4.47, and the odds of winning more than the $5 ticket price are 1 in 8.08.
- Is MEGA BUCKS worth buying?
- Its current payout is 63.2% ($3.16 back per $5 ticket), rank #— of 58 in North Carolina. The best $5 alternative today is Double Your Money (#10, $5) at 81.1%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many MEGA BUCKS tickets are left?
- We estimate 1,155,555 of roughly 11,110,308 printed tickets are unsold (89.6% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did MEGA BUCKS launch and is it still on sale?
- We first saw it on February 16, 2025. Sales have ended; prizes can be claimed until December 3, 2026.
Other $5 North Carolina scratch-offs
- Double Your Money — 81.1% payout, 1 in 3.85 any prize
- LOTERIA® Fiesta — 73.8% payout, 1 in 3.40 any prize
- Mega Bucks — 70.5% payout, 1 in 4.28 any prize
- $5 MONOPOLY® — 70.5% payout, 1 in 4.13 any prize
- Jungle Cashword — 70.4% payout, 1 in 3.62 any prize