$250,000 Crossword is one of the Illinois Lottery's $10 scratch-off games. Its published overall odds are 1 in 3.70. 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). Its ValueScore is 36/100 (Below Avg). Against the rest of the state it is 38th out of 58 Illinois scratch-offs. At its own price point it is 14th of the 14 active $10 games in Illinois.
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™
36 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.75↓
BELOW AVERAGE
Weak value right now at #38 of the 58 active games we track in Illinois. Check the higher-ranked games in Illinois first.
Why
↓Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Each $1 spent here returns about $0.75 on average, comfortably above the typical scratch-off.
- At 1 in 3.70 overall odds, prizes land more often than in most games.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$250,000
0 of 13 left
launch odds 1 in 958K
All claimed
$25,000
2 of 44 left
launch odds 1 in 283K
now ~1 in 221K
$1,000
95 of 1,248 left
launch odds 1 in 9,979
now ~1 in 4,653
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 | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 13 | 0 | Claimed |
| $25,000 | 44 | 2 | 5% |
| $1,000 | 1,248 | 95 | 8% |
| $500 | 5,718 | 124 | 2% |
| $200 | 6,232 | 222 | 4% |
| $150 | 9,325 | 183 | 2% |
| $100 | 155,865 | 4,553 | 3% |
| $60 | 15,572 | 379 | 2% |
| $50 | 342,614 | 10,687 | 3% |
| $40 | 77,962 | 2,058 | 3% |
| $30 | 207,746 | 5,229 | 3% |
| $20 | 1,401,359 | 44,227 | 3% |
| $10 | 1,142,138 | 51,707 | 5% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$93,553,090
Current Prize Pool
$2,932,040
Payout Percentage
3.1%
Total Prizes Remaining
119,466
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
12,453,593
Estimated Remaining
442,024
% Remaining
3.5%
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
36
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
36
out of 100
Expected Value
21/40
Prize Quality
1/25
Win Frequency
13/20
Inventory Health
0/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- Illinois
- Game Number
- 7640
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 12/2/2025
- Payout %
- 75.1%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
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 36/100 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 119,466 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 36 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 9 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.