Iowa launched three new crossword scratch-offs at $2, $5, and $10

The Iowa Lottery released three crossword-style scratch games on Tuesday, November 3, one each at $2, $5, and $10. They share one design choice. Each one sets the odds of its top prize at exactly 1 in 120,000 per ticket, so the bigger games simply print more tickets and more top prizes.

$100,000 Crossword ($10)

The $10 game has two crossword grids plus a six-letter bonus word, and a ticket can win twice. Thirty $100,000 prizes and 30 of $10,000 are spread through about 3.6 million tickets, each at 1 in 120,000. It wins 1 in 2.86 times, though 57% of those wins just give back the $10. It returns 74.2% of sales, a hair above Iowa's $10 average of 74.1% and the 73.0% national average, and rates 88.8, second of 15 Iowa $10 games and fifth of 53 overall.

Crossword Multiplier ($5)

Crossword Multiplier plays two puzzles and adds a multiplier box that boosts any win. Its 17 top prizes of $50,000 sit in about 2.04 million tickets, with 52 prizes of $5,000 below them. The payout, 64.2%, matches Iowa's $5 average but runs five points under the 69.2% national figure for $5 games. It rates 61.5, third of 11.

Crossword Tripler ($2)

The $2 game has one puzzle, and a word containing the triple symbol pays three times the prize. Its 25 top prizes of $20,000 come with 28 of $2,000. About 71% of its winning tickets return the $2, and the game pays back 60.2%, under both Iowa's $2 average of 60.7% and the 65.4% national average. It rates 46.9, fifth of nine $2 games.

Iowa's top-rated games are ranked in our guide to the best Iowa scratch tickets. All recent launches are on the Iowa scratch games page.

Sources

Iowa Lottery: $100,000 Crossword (Game 815)

Iowa Lottery: Crossword Multiplier (Game 814)

Iowa Lottery: Crossword Tripler (Game 812)