The Iowa Lottery sells $30,000 Crossword at $3 a ticket. Its published overall odds are 1 in 3.52. Dollar for dollar, it pays back around $0.63 per $1, a below-average return for a scratch-off. The top prize is $30,000. About half the prizes remain (31% remaining). Its ValueScore is 45/100 (Fair). Against the rest of the state it is 45th out of 72 Iowa scratch-offs. At its own price point it is 5th of the 12 active $3 games in Iowa.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.52
Exp. Value
$0.63
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$30,000
Top Prizes Left
46
Prizes Remaining
31%
ValueScore™
45 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.63→
AVERAGE
Nothing wrong with it, but nothing special either; it is 5th of the 12 active $3 games in Iowa.
Why
→Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- At $0.63 returned per $1, this game pays back less than most scratch-offs.
- The prize pool is about half spent, half still in circulation.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | 1 in 119,932 | 151 | 46 | 30% |
| $3,000 | 1 in 59,966 | 302 | 91 | 30% |
| $300 | 1 in 3,998 | 4,530 | 1,400 | 31% |
| $100 | 1 in 829 | 21,854 | 6,846 | 31% |
| $30 | 1 in 100 | - | Not reported | - |
| $10 | 1 in 57 | - | Not reported | - |
| $5 | 1 in 13 | - | Not reported | - |
| $3 | 1 in 6 | - | Not reported | - |
“Not reported” = the lottery publishes remaining-prize counts for its top prizes only.
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$8,980,400
Current Prize Pool
$2,757,600
Payout Percentage
30.7%
Total Prizes Remaining
8,383
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
94,466
Estimated Remaining
29,508
% Remaining
31.2%
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
45
VALUESCORE
Fair
45
out of 100
Expected Value
18/40
Prize Quality
8/25
Win Frequency
11/20
Inventory Health
8/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- Iowa
- Game Number
- 615
- Ticket Price
- $3
- Start Date
- 12/29/2022
- Payout %
- 62.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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$3.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.52 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 $30,000 Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
$30,000 Crossword is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 45/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in Iowa. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the Iowa rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does $30,000 Crossword cost?
$30,000 Crossword costs $3 per ticket in Iowa. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $3 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the $30,000 Crossword scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with $30,000 Crossword are 1 in 3.52. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for $30,000 Crossword?
The top prize for $30,000 Crossword is $30,000. As of our latest update, 46 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for $30,000 Crossword?
$30,000 Crossword offers 8 distinct prize levels: $30,000 (151 total), $3,000 (302 total), $300 (4,530 total), $100 (21,854 total), $30, $10, $5, and $3. The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in $30,000 Crossword?
Based on our latest data, 31% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 8,383 out of 26,837 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is $30,000 Crossword rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates $30,000 Crossword at 45 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 $30,000 Crossword released?
$30,000 Crossword was released by the Iowa Lottery on December 29, 2022. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is $30,000 Crossword data updated on ScratchCheck?
$30,000 Crossword data comes directly from the official Iowa Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.