The jackpots running late

Overdue Jackpots

These games are heavily sold, yet their top prizes have been claimed far more slowly than the sales math expects — the big winners are still hiding in the tickets left on shelves. It’s the mirror image of a dead ticket. 16 games currently qualify. Updated Aug 20, 2026.

Honest fine print: an overdue jackpot doesn’t make any single ticket more likely to win — it means more prize value is spread across the remaining tickets, which the return column already reflects. Only states publishing an exact print run qualify, and the “luck” column shows how unusual each game’s slow claim pace is.

GameStatePriceTop PrizeStill OutSoldLuck of ThatReturn / $1
LOTERIA™#1861Connecticut$3$30,0002 of 394%1 in 95$0.89 / $1
Crossword Bonanza#1905New Jersey$20$400,0002 of 393%1 in 78$0.88 / $1
5X The Money 18th Edition#1767Connecticut$5$50,0002 of 897%1 in 36$0.56 / $1
5X The Money 19th Edition#1812Connecticut$5$50,0003 of 788%1 in 24$0.65 / $1
Super Loteria#2648Texas$5$100,0006 of 3091%1 in 19$0.62 / $1
All About the 8s#2727Texas$5$100,0002 of 489%1 in 15$0.66 / $1
DIAMONDS & GOLD#1677Connecticut$30$1,000,0001 of 398%1 in 14$1.28 / $1
Blackjack Tripler#1763Connecticut$5$50,0001 of 397%1 in 10$0.72 / $1
$100,000 Cash#2577Texas$5$100,0004 of 558%1 in 10$0.68 / $1
Triple Red 777s#1852Connecticut$10$100,0001 of 396%1 in 9$0.76 / $1
Super Crossword#1917New Jersey$5$50,0002 of 689%1 in 7$0.56 / $1
Green & Gold#1867Connecticut$2$10,0004 of 663%1 in 7$0.65 / $1
Lucky No. 7#2622Texas$2$30,0004 of 660%1 in 6$0.64 / $1
Crossword Bonanza#1935New Jersey$20$400,0001 of 393%1 in 5$0.77 / $1
LUCKY MATCH#1486Rhode Island$10$50,0001 of 290%1 in 5$0.75 / $1
$30,000 SILVER PAYOUT#1461Rhode Island$5$30,0001 of 290%1 in 5$0.65 / $1

The opposite list: games whose top prizes are already gone →

Overdue jackpots FAQ

What makes a jackpot “overdue”?

If a game has sold, say, 90% of its tickets, then about 90% of its top prizes should have been claimed too — winners are spread randomly through the print run. When far fewer have hit than the sales predict, the remaining ones are concentrated in the tickets still on shelves. We flag a game when its claim count would happen by luck 1 time in 5 or less.

Does an overdue jackpot make my next ticket more likely to win?

No — and this matters. Every unsold ticket has exactly the chance it was printed with. What changes is the game around it: a heavily-sold game that still holds its top prizes has more prize value left per remaining ticket, which is what the return column reflects. Overdue is a fact about the game, not a prophecy about your ticket.

Why are only a few states listed?

This math needs an exact print run — the true number of tickets printed — and only some states publish one. For states that only let us estimate ticket counts, calling a jackpot statistically overdue would be stacking a model on a guess, so we leave them out.

How current is this list?

We refresh official claim data daily. A top prize can be claimed between updates, so check the game's own page — every game here links to one — before driving anywhere.