People talk about entering the lottery as if it were just one game, but every state has a selection of lottery games—and they each have different odds of winning.

Read the odds before you spend your money to ensure you’re maximizing your chances of winning. By picking games with better odds, you boost your chances of being a lottery winner.

Remember that lottery games like Powerball and MegaMillions are national lotteries. They have fixed odds of winning, but if many people enter, you could end up splitting a jackpot. That would lower the value of your prize.

Don’t write off scratch-off games, either. They usually offer smaller prizes but higher chances of winning overall.