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 42/100 (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™
42 / 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
- Weak prize quality: relatively few of the bigger top and mid-tier prizes are still unclaimed.
- 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.
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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.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 in 335,870 | 24 | 2 | 8% |
| $2,500 | 1 in 60,156 | 134 | 23 | 17% |
| $100 | 1 in 602 | 13,391 | 2,065 | 15% |
| $50 | 1 in 258 | 31,298 | 4,941 | 16% |
| $40 | 1 in 150 | 53,751 | 8,624 | 16% |
| $25 | 1 in 60 | 134,348 | 21,939 | 16% |
| $20 | 1 in 30 | 268,696 | 44,798 | 17% |
| $10 | 1 in 13 | 638,143 | 118,740 | 19% |
| $5 | 1 in 7 | 1,209,132 | 255,058 | 21% |
ValueScore™ Breakdown
42
VALUESCORE
Fair
42
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 6/12/2026
Game Details
- State
- Arizona
- Game Number
- 1444
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 3/5/2024
- Payout %
- 68.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 6/11/2026
Compare
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View on Arizona Lottery ↗Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cactus Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
Cactus Crossword is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 42/100. 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 456,190 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 42 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 is collected directly from official Arizona Lottery publications by ScratchCheck's automated pipeline. Prize counts and odds typically refresh daily or whenever the lottery publishes new data.