Cactus Crossword is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the Arizona Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.43, meaning roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize. The expected value is $0.69 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $50,000. Most prizes have already been claimed (19% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 41/100 (Fair) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.43
Exp. Value
$0.69
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$50,000
Top Prizes Left
2
Prizes Remaining
19%
ValueScore™
41 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.69→
AVERAGE
Middle-of-the-pack value for a ticket at this price point.
Why
→Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Low inventory: most of this game's prizes have already been claimed.
- Expected value of $0.69 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$50,000
2 of 24 left
launch odds 1 in 336K
now ~1 in 756K
$2,500
22 of 134 left
launch odds 1 in 60K
now ~1 in 69K
$100
1,992 of 13,391 left
launch odds 1 in 602
now ~1 in 759
ScratchCheck estimate. Current odds are derived from the prizes still unclaimed and our estimate of tickets remaining, shown next to the lottery’s printed launch odds. Actual odds vary as tickets are sold and prizes claimed.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 in 335,870 | 24 | 2 | 8% |
| $2,500 | 1 in 60,156 | 134 | 22 | 16% |
| $100 | 1 in 602 | 13,391 | 1,992 | 15% |
| $50 | 1 in 258 | 31,298 | 4,724 | 15% |
| $40 | 1 in 150 | 53,751 | 8,265 | 15% |
| $25 | 1 in 60 | 134,348 | 21,039 | 16% |
| $20 | 1 in 30 | 268,696 | 42,993 | 16% |
| $10 | 1 in 13 | 638,143 | 114,559 | 18% |
| $5 | 1 in 7 | 1,209,132 | 247,378 | 20% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$27,748,750
Current Prize Pool
$4,689,315
Payout Percentage
16.9%
Total Prizes Remaining
440,974
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
8,056,785
Estimated Remaining
1,512,541
% Remaining
18.8%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed and remaining are estimated from overall odds and the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
41
VALUESCORE
Fair
41
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 7/27/2026
Game Details
- State
- Arizona
- Game Number
- 1444
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 3/5/2024
- Payout %
- 68.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 7/27/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: Arizona Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.43 overall odds
✓ Accounts for prizes already claimed
Entertainment only. Outcomes are random and won't match a real session. Current-odds mode scales each tier by remaining prizes and tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cactus Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
Cactus Crossword is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 41/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in Arizona. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the Arizona rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does Cactus Crossword cost?
Cactus Crossword costs $5 per ticket in Arizona. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $5 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Cactus Crossword scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Cactus Crossword are 1 in 3.43. This means roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Cactus Crossword?
The top prize for Cactus Crossword is $50,000. As of our latest update, 2 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Cactus Crossword?
Cactus Crossword offers 9 distinct prize levels: $50,000 (24 total), $2,500 (134 total), $100 (13,391 total), $50 (31,298 total), $40 (53,751 total), $25 (134,348 total), $20 (268,696 total), $10 (638,143 total), and $5 (1,209,132 total). The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in Cactus Crossword?
Based on our latest data, 19% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 440,974 out of 2,348,917 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is Cactus Crossword rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Cactus Crossword at 41 out of 100 using ValueScore™, a composite rating built from four factors: Expected Value, Prize Quality, Win Frequency, and Inventory Health. Scores of 80 or above are Excellent, 60 to 79 Good, 40 to 59 Fair, 20 to 39 Below Average, and below 20 is Poor. The score updates automatically as prizes are claimed and data refreshes.
When was Cactus Crossword released?
Cactus Crossword was released by the Arizona Lottery on March 5, 2024. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is Cactus Crossword data updated on ScratchCheck?
Cactus Crossword data comes directly from the official Arizona Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.