U.S. Best of 2024

By Scientific Games

Published January 21, 2025

As planning for 2025 instant game portfolios is well underway, Rob Thompson, Director of Business Intelligence & Analytics at Scientific Games, took a moment to reflect on the top-performing and most notable games of 2024.

Thompson, who’s been studying data for 20+ years, focused on the “whys” behind last year’s mega hits that will help the world’s largest lottery games company guide its partners’ scratch game success in 2025 and beyond.

“When it comes to creating a high-performing game, there is no magic involved. That’s what makes building a lottery portfolio so fun! Each year after the holiday season, I let the data talk to me and reveal the games that spoke to players. It’s a great way to celebrate the past year’s work and ideate for the coming year,” said Thompson, who is always keen to share his passion for the science of lottery play.

The story Thompson tells from Scientific Games’ data serves as a blueprint for game innovation that can drive sales and profits.

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$50 LIFETIME MILLIONS

Massachusetts Lottery

Once again, the Mass. Lottery shows why they are the world’s No. 1 instant game lottery by creating the game with 2024’s highest 16-week weekly per capita sales in the U.S. This monster instant game changed things up in the $50 category by providing a $1 million for life top prize. LIFETIME MILLIONS was produced on shimmering holographic paper with premium Metallic Ink for an unmistakable presence at retail. The Lottery backed up the game’s premium appeal by delivering on gameplay. The game design featured bonus boxes, minimum wins of $100, 10 second-chance drawings and the best odds of winning $10,000 in the $50 portfolio. Another wow game from the Mass Lottery!

Tom Aiello, Massachusetts Lottery Instant Ticket Product Manager: “The game’s $1 million a year for life grand prize differentiates it from our first $50 ticket that featured a top prize of $25 million. With additional high-tier prizes of $1 million and $2 million and second chance prizes up to $50,000, LIFETIME MILLIONS offers exceptional value. The holographic imagery of falling cash, paired with a green and gold color scheme, resulted in an eye-catching money-themed ticket.”

$10 JUMBO BUCKS

Pennsylvania Lottery

This bright red game design performed at the top of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s $10 portfolio. JUMBO BUCKS achieved the highest 16-week weekly per capita sales AND the highest 16-week fiscal index in the Lottery’s Scratch-Off launch cohort for calendar year 2024. The game has a bunch of red-hot features working in its favor. The appealing top prize category with five $1 million prizes excited players, while the call-out draws attention to the bonus prize potential. Keeping the play area to 20 chances makes it a faster game, allowing players to get to the bonus boxes sooner. As a premium upgrade, the scratch area reveals high-definition HD Games numbers and images, creating a modernized play experience and elevating the Lottery’s brand. Bravo, Pennsylvania!

$20 $2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE

South Carolina Education Lottery

In 2023, the SCEL launched its first $20 game with much anticipation from Palmetto State fans. The Lottery made the top-performer list for the second year in a row with another $20 game, $2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE. This showstopper has the highest 16-week weekly per capita sales of any U.S. $20 game launched in CY24. $2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE’s game design features an appealing deep blue colorway and three bonus boxes, boosting the play areas to a total of 28. The game has a brand new circular Micromotion pattern that draws the eye to its name, and the bonus boxes have strategically placed UV lines on Platinum substrate. Congratulations, SCEL, you’ve done it again!

Ammie Smith, South Carolina Education Lottery Product Development Manager: “Introduced in early 2024, $2,000,000 MILLIONAIRE was the South Carolina Education Lottery’s fourth $20 scratch-off and is the highest price point available for sale. Players were attracted to the Micromotion specialty coating on the ticket that created a brilliant sparkle and texture. The three bonus boxes offered players an opportunity to win up to $500. The most successful piece to this game and price point is $20 games offer an 80% payout to players, making these games the highest payout in South Carolina history.”

$30 MAINE MILLIONS

Maine Lottery

This gorgeous green game has captured the hearts of players in the Pine Tree State, boasting the second highest 16-week weekly per capita sales ($0.78) in the U.S. for the $30 category for calendar year 2024. One look at MAINE MILLIONS, and it is easy to see why. The game’s colors reinforce the ever-popular money theme and it is embellished with a Gold Iris Sparkle Select pattern on foil paper. Five progressive bonus boxes and minimum prizes of $40 keep the play action exciting. It doesn’t get any better than this for money-themed games in any instant portfolio.

Dan Meaney, Maine Lottery Games Manager: “We’re very pleased with how the MAINE MILLIONS game has performed since being launched. The team focused on the features that high price point players are looking for. A large top prize, no break-even prizes and bonus boxes add value to the game. The added features of foil paper and sparkle treatment allow the game to stand out in the marketplace.”

$5 20X THE CASH

North Carolina Education Lottery

The NCEL knows from experience that featuring families of games in its Scratch-Offs portfolio is important to help create the variety that makes the Lottery so successful. 20X THE CASH boasts the highest 16-week weekly per capita and fiscal index of all NCEL $5 games launched in 2024. The Lottery made sure that the design language was consistent throughout all the price points. Never satisfied with “good enough,” the NCEL catapulted this game into the stratosphere by enhancing it with not one but two high-visibility premium inks. Metallic Ink and Fluorescent Inks were used throughout the family, creating a unified group of games to catch the player’s eye. Great work, as always, by the Tar Heel State!

Vicky Scott, North Carolina Education Lottery Director of Product Development: “Two things make our 20X THE CASH game, always a popular $5 game, stand out. A unique Win All Doubler feature gives players a chance to double all prizes. Then, Fluorescent orange and silver Metallic inks create a look that catches the eye at retail. Fun features and eye-catching design always add up to a successful game.”

$5 $500 FRENZY

Kentucky Lottery

The Bluegrass State knocked it out of the ballpark with this high-performing hit, the second-highest 16-week weekly per capita and fiscal index in the Kentucky Lottery’s low price point launch cohort of 2024 ($1, $2, and $5 games). The Lottery utilized four colorways featuring Fluorescent Ink in $500 FRENZY’s game design. The best part of this game is the strong callout, which lets players know just how much money is in the prize pool! Way to go, Kentucky Lottery!

Mary Harville, North Carolina Education Lottery President and CEO: “$500 Frenzy was the most recent iteration of this player-favorite blowout-style game. It’s been in the market for 46 weeks and is still indexing at 163. We used four color pulses featuring Fluorescent inks and think the enhanced treatment helped propel this game to be one of our best-performing games of the year.”

For more information about these games or building a 2025 blockbuster,

contact your SG representative or email info@scientificgames.com

Source: Scientific Games MAP data. Ranked by first 16 weeks of weekly per capita sales and or first 16-week fiscal index. Games include U.S. games launched in calendar year 2024 with variable cohorts as noted above, excluding Mississippi Lottery and any games with holiday themes.

Micromotion™ is a trademark of Serigraph, Inc.

HD Games™, Platinum™ and Sparkle® Select are trademarks of Scientific Games.