Texas Lottery Just Launched 2 New Scratch-Offs: a $20 Crossword Game and $5 Ms. PAC-MAN

Texas added two new scratch-offs on July 20, and they sit at opposite ends of the shelf: a high-value $20 crossword and a $5 arcade throwback. Here is a look at each, with the price, the top prize, and the ValueScore™, our 0 to 100 rating of how much a ticket is really worth.

$1,000,000 Crossword ($20)

$1,000,000 Crossword is the standout, and one of the strongest new games in the country right now. The $20 ticket carries a $1,000,000 top prize and rates 86.8, in our Excellent range, with a 75% payout percentage and overall odds of 1 in 3.41, meaning close to one in three tickets wins something. Six of its $1 million top prizes were still unclaimed at launch. Like any crossword game, you scratch to uncover your letters, then reveal the puzzle and win based on how many complete words you turn up.

Ms. PAC-MAN ($5)

Ms. PAC-MAN is the lower-price, licensed-theme option, a $5 ticket built around the classic arcade game, with a $100,000 top prize. It rates 58.5, in our Fair range, with a 68% payout percentage and odds of 1 in 4.05, and five top prizes available. As with most brand-name tickets, you are paying a little for the theme, so it is more about the fun than squeezing out value.

Which one to buy?

By the numbers, it is not close: $1,000,000 Crossword is the pick, pairing an Excellent ValueScore with the bigger prize and better odds, though at $20 it costs four times as much. If you grew up feeding quarters into an arcade cabinet and want a cheap, fun scratch, Ms. PAC-MAN is there for the nostalgia. Either way, both just launched, so every top prize is still on the table, which is the best time to be in a game. You can compare them against the rest of the state on our Texas page.