A $1 scratch-off from the Illinois Lottery, Emeralds is on sale now. The published overall odds are 1 in 4.97. Every $1 spent returns about $0.67 on average, an average showing by scratch-off standards. The top prize is $50,000. 43% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so about half the prizes remain. It scores 27/100 (Below Avg) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore. That makes it #52 of the 58 active games we track in Illinois, and 2nd of the 4 active $1 games in Illinois.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.97
Exp. Value
$0.67
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$50,000
Top Prizes Left
2
Prizes Remaining
43%
ValueScore™
27 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.67↓
BELOW AVERAGE
The numbers work against it: #52 of the 58 active games we track in Illinois.
Why
↓Expected value of $0.67 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
- Prizes hit less often here, roughly 20% per ticket (1 in 4.97).
- This game is partway played through, with a fair share of prizes remaining.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$50,000
2 of 3 left
launch odds 1 in 3.0M
now ~1 in 2.0M
$1,000
5 of 12 left
launch odds 1 in 759K
now ~1 in 785K
$500
20 of 60 left
launch odds 1 in 152K
now ~1 in 196K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 in 3,035,400 | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 758,850 | 12 | 5 | 42% |
| $500 | 1 in 151,770 | 60 | 20 | 33% |
| $100 | 1 in 7,857 | 1,159 | 421 | 36% |
| $50 | 1 in 2,295 | 3,967 | 1,482 | 37% |
| $25 | 1 in 312 | 29,150 | 11,087 | 38% |
| $20 | 1 in 200 | 45,531 | 17,557 | 39% |
| $10 | 1 in 100 | 91,062 | 35,960 | 39% |
| $5 | 1 in 50 | 182,124 | 75,159 | 41% |
| $2 | 1 in 14 | 660,240 | 284,421 | 43% |
| $1 | 1 in 11 | 819,477 | 363,507 | 44% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$6,106,817
Current Prize Pool
$2,527,259
Payout Percentage
41.4%
Total Prizes Remaining
789,621
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
9,108,941
Estimated Remaining
3,924,416
% Remaining
43.1%
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
27
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
27
out of 100
Expected Value
2/40
Prize Quality
14/25
Win Frequency
2/20
Inventory Health
8/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- Illinois
- Game Number
- 7647
- Ticket Price
- $1
- Start Date
- 3/3/2026
- Payout %
- 67.1%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: Illinois Lottery
$1.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.97 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 Emeralds scratch-off a good buy?
Emeralds scores 27/100 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 $1 price point.
How much does Emeralds cost?
Emeralds costs $1 per ticket in Illinois. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $1 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Emeralds scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Emeralds are 1 in 4.97. This means roughly 1 in every 5 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Emeralds?
The top prize for Emeralds is $50,000. As of our latest update, 2 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Emeralds?
Emeralds offers 11 distinct prize levels: $50,000 (3 total), $1,000 (12 total), $500 (60 total), $100 (1,159 total), $50 (3,967 total), $25 (29,150 total), $20 (45,531 total), $10 (91,062 total), $5 (182,124 total), $2 (660,240 total), and $1 (819,477 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 Emeralds?
Based on our latest data, 43% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 789,621 out of 1,832,785 total). Roughly half the prizes remain, which is typical for an active game.
How is Emeralds rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Emeralds at 27 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 Emeralds released?
Emeralds was released by the Illinois Lottery on March 3, 2026. It has been on sale for roughly 6 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is Emeralds data updated on ScratchCheck?
Emeralds 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.