Mystery CrosswordCalifornia Scratch-Off Odds & Prizes Remaining
Image Credit: California Lottery
85
VALUESCORE
Excellent
At a glance
Mystery Crossword is one of the California Lottery's $10 games. Its ValueScore of 85/100 (Excellent) makes it first of the 11 active $10 games in California. On average it pays back about $0.79 per $1, $0.04 more than the median $10 game in California. It went on sale on August 24, 2026, so 85% of its prizes are still unclaimed. 55% of its winning tickets pay $10 or less, no more than the ticket cost.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.47
Exp. Value
$0.79
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$750,000
Top Prizes Left
23
Prizes Remaining
85%
ValueScore™
85 / 100
Excellent
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.79↑
GREAT VALUE
Our data makes it first of the 11 active $10 games in California, and #6 of 58 in California, better than about 91% of the state's games.
Why
↑Healthy inventory: a large share of this game's prizes are still unclaimed.
- The bigger prize tiers here have plenty left to win.
- Strong expected value of $0.79 per $1: a bigger slice of ticket sales is still sitting in the prize pool than usual.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$750,000
23 of 25 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 1.1M
$10,000
45 of 50 left
launch odds 1 in 601K
now ~1 in 568K
$4,000
69 of 76 left
launch odds 1 in 395K
now ~1 in 370K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $750,000 | 1 in 1,200,000 | 25 | 23 | 92% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 600,000 | 50 | 45 | 90% |
| $4,000 | 1 in 394,737 | 76 | 69 | 91% |
| $2,000 | 1 in 384,615 | 78 | 70 | 90% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 7,964 | 3,767 | 3,367 | 89% |
| $400 | 1 in 4,782 | 6,273 | 5,339 | 85% |
| $200 | 1 in 536 | 56,014 | 47,509 | 85% |
| $100 | 1 in 49 | 607,000 | 514,982 | 85% |
| $60 | 1 in 100 | 301,280 | 255,690 | 85% |
| $40 | 1 in 63 | 479,001 | 406,026 | 85% |
| $20 | 1 in 12 | 2,400,000 | 2,038,165 | 85% |
| $10 Free ticket | 1 in 6 | 4,800,000 | 4,091,840 | 85% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$231,125,840
Current Prize Pool
$197,882,740
Payout Percentage
85.6%
Total Prizes Remaining
7,363,125
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
30,027,867
Estimated Remaining
25,550,044
% Remaining
85.1%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed is estimated from overall odds. Tickets remaining is estimated from the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
85
VALUESCORE
Excellent
85
out of 100
Expected Value
36/40
Prize Quality
22/25
Win Frequency
12/20
Inventory Health
15/15
Updated: 9/23/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1743
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 8/24/2026
- Payout %
- 78.5%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/23/2026
Compare
Compare this game with another →Official Source
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: California Lottery
$10.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.47 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 Mystery Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
Yes. Mystery Crossword is an excellent buy with a ValueScore of 85/100. It ranks among the top scratch-offs available and scores highly on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health, meaning more prizes are still available relative to how long the game has been on sale.
How much does Mystery Crossword cost?
Mystery Crossword costs $10 per ticket in California. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $10 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Mystery Crossword scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Mystery Crossword are 1 in 3.47. This means roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Mystery Crossword?
The top prize for Mystery Crossword is $750,000. As of our latest update, 23 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Mystery Crossword?
Mystery Crossword offers 12 distinct prize levels: $750,000 (25 total), $10,000 (50 total), $4,000 (76 total), $2,000 (78 total), $1,000 (3,767 total), $400 (6,273 total), $200 (56,014 total), $100 (607,000 total), $60 (301,280 total), $40 (479,001 total), $20 (2,400,000 total), and $10 (4,800,000 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 Mystery Crossword?
Based on our latest data, 85% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 7,363,125 out of 8,653,564 total). The game is early in its run, with most prizes still on the market.
How is Mystery Crossword rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Mystery Crossword at 85 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 Mystery Crossword released?
Mystery Crossword was released by the California Lottery on August 24, 2026. It has been on sale for about 1 month.
How often is Mystery Crossword data updated on ScratchCheck?
Mystery Crossword data comes directly from the official California Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.