$250,000 Crossword is a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket from the Illinois Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.70, meaning roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize. The expected value is $0.75 per $1 spent, which is an above-average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $250,000. Most prizes have already been claimed (4% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 39/100 (Below Avg) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.70
Exp. Value
$0.75
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$250,000
Top Prizes Left
0
Prizes Remaining
4%
ValueScore™
39 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.75↓
BELOW AVERAGE
Weaker overall value. There are likely better options at this price.
Why
↓Prize quality is thin, with the bigger winners mostly gone.
- At $0.75 returned per $1 spent, this game pays back more than the typical scratch-off.
- Wins hit often: about a 27% chance to win something per ticket (1 in 3.70), better than most games.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 13 | 0 | Claimed |
| $25,000 | 44 | 2 | 5% |
| $1,000 | 1,248 | 134 | 11% |
| $500 | 5,718 | 148 | 3% |
| $200 | 6,232 | 243 | 4% |
| $150 | 9,325 | 212 | 2% |
| $100 | 155,865 | 5,215 | 3% |
| $60 | 15,572 | 442 | 3% |
| $50 | 342,614 | 11,917 | 3% |
| $40 | 77,962 | 2,341 | 3% |
| $30 | 207,746 | 5,992 | 3% |
| $20 | 1,401,359 | 49,535 | 4% |
| $10 | 1,142,138 | 56,319 | 5% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$93,553,090
Current Prize Pool
$3,309,560
Payout Percentage
3.5%
Total Prizes Remaining
132,500
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
12,453,593
Estimated Remaining
490,250
% Remaining
3.9%
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
39
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
39
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 7/16/2026
Game Details
- State
- Illinois
- Game Number
- 7640
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 12/2/2025
- Payout %
- 75.1%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 7/15/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: Illinois Lottery
$10.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.70 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 $250,000 Crossword scratch-off a good buy?
$250,000 Crossword scores 39/100 on ValueScore, which is below average. The expected value, prize pool, or inventory health is weaker than most other tickets at this price. There are likely better options in Illinois at the $10 price point.
How much does $250,000 Crossword cost?
$250,000 Crossword costs $10 per ticket in Illinois. 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 $250,000 Crossword scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with $250,000 Crossword are 1 in 3.70. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for $250,000 Crossword?
The top prize for $250,000 Crossword is $250,000. All top prizes have already been claimed. This game no longer has a top prize available, so you may want to consider a different game.
What are the prizes for $250,000 Crossword?
$250,000 Crossword offers 13 distinct prize levels: $250,000 (13 total), $25,000 (44 total), $1,000 (1,248 total), $500 (5,718 total), $200 (6,232 total), $150 (9,325 total), $100 (155,865 total), $60 (15,572 total), $50 (342,614 total), $40 (77,962 total), $30 (207,746 total), $20 (1,401,359 total), and $10 (1,142,138 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 $250,000 Crossword?
Based on our latest data, 4% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 132,500 out of 3,365,836 total). The vast majority of prizes have been claimed. This game is close to being retired.
How is $250,000 Crossword rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates $250,000 Crossword at 39 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 $250,000 Crossword released?
$250,000 Crossword was released by the Illinois Lottery on December 2, 2025. It has been on sale for roughly 8 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is $250,000 Crossword data updated on ScratchCheck?
$250,000 Crossword data comes directly from the official Illinois Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.