Instant Prize Crossword
Image Credit: California Lottery
65
VALUESCORE
Good
A $20 scratch-off from the California Lottery, Instant Prize Crossword is on sale now. The printed overall odds are 1 in 3.10, so roughly one winning ticket in every 3. Every $1 spent returns about $0.78 on average, an above-average showing by scratch-off standards. The top prize is $2,000,000. 35% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so about half the prizes remain. Weighing expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health, ScratchCheck scores it 65/100 (Good). In our rankings it sits at ahead of roughly 81% of California's 52 active games, and it is 6th out of 13 $20 tickets in California.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.10
Exp. Value
$0.78
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$2,000,000
Top Prizes Left
9
Prizes Remaining
35%
ValueScore™
65 / 100
Good
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.78↑
ABOVE AVERAGE
A solid pick: ahead of roughly 81% of California's 52 active games, and 6th out of 13 $20 tickets in California.
Why
↑You win something fairly often here, about 32% per ticket (1 in 3.10).
- Expected value of $0.78 per $1 is above average. More of each dollar comes back as prizes than most games.
- The prize pool is about half spent, half still in circulation.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$2,000,000
9 of 27 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 1.3M
$25,000
20 of 55 left
launch odds 1 in 605K
now ~1 in 588K
$10,000
21 of 56 left
launch odds 1 in 594K
now ~1 in 560K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000,000 | 1 in 1,233,167 | 27 | 9 | 33% |
| $25,000 | 1 in 605,373 | 55 | 20 | 36% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 594,562 | 56 | 21 | 38% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 118,912 | 280 | 98 | 35% |
| $2,000 | 1 in 3,952 | 8,426 | 3,037 | 36% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 1,478 | 22,525 | 8,089 | 36% |
| $500 | 1 in 564 | 59,047 | 20,858 | 35% |
| $250 | 1 in 395 | 84,272 | 30,015 | 36% |
| $200 | 1 in 183 | 181,913 | 63,969 | 35% |
| $100 | 1 in 40 | 829,444 | 288,640 | 35% |
| $50 | 1 in 21 | 1,550,454 | 543,757 | 35% |
| $25 | 1 in 9 | 3,558,192 | 1,252,486 | 35% |
| $20 | 1 in 8 | 4,439,400 | 1,583,099 | 36% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$521,896,000
Current Prize Pool
$183,115,530
Payout Percentage
35.1%
Total Prizes Remaining
3,794,098
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
33,275,682
Estimated Remaining
11,761,704
% Remaining
35.3%
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
65
VALUESCORE
Good
65
out of 100
Expected Value
32/40
Prize Quality
9/25
Win Frequency
16/20
Inventory Health
8/15
Updated: 8/27/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1590
- Ticket Price
- $20
- Start Date
- 9/18/2023
- Payout %
- 78.4%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 8/27/2026
Compare
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: California Lottery
$20.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.10 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 Instant Prize Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
Instant Prize Crossword is a solid choice. Its ValueScore of 65/100 is above average, indicating good expected value and a healthy prize pool. It performs better than most $20 tickets in California.
How much does Instant Prize Crossword cost?
Instant Prize Crossword costs $20 per ticket in California. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $20 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Instant Prize Crossword scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Instant Prize Crossword are 1 in 3.10. This means roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Instant Prize Crossword?
The top prize for Instant Prize Crossword is $2,000,000. As of our latest update, 9 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Instant Prize Crossword?
Instant Prize Crossword offers 13 distinct prize levels: $2,000,000 (27 total), $25,000 (55 total), $10,000 (56 total), $5,000 (280 total), $2,000 (8,426 total), $1,000 (22,525 total), $500 (59,047 total), $250 (84,272 total), $200 (181,913 total), $100 (829,444 total), $50 (1,550,454 total), $25 (3,558,192 total), and $20 (4,439,400 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 Instant Prize Crossword?
Based on our latest data, 35% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 3,794,098 out of 10,734,091 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is Instant Prize Crossword rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Instant Prize Crossword at 65 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 Instant Prize Crossword released?
Instant Prize Crossword was released by the California Lottery on September 18, 2023. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is Instant Prize Crossword data updated on ScratchCheck?
Instant Prize 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.