In the Money is one of the Illinois Lottery's $5 scratch-off games. Published overall odds: 1 in 4.99. The expected value is $0.72 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $400,000. 23% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so most prizes have already been claimed. On ScratchCheck's 0-100 ValueScore it earns a 19 (Poor). Today it stands at 56th out of 58 Illinois scratch-offs; among $5 tickets it is 14th of the 15 active $5 games in Illinois.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.99
Exp. Value
$0.72
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$400,000
Top Prizes Left
0
Prizes Remaining
23%
ValueScore™
19 / 100
Poor
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.72↓
POOR VALUE
It is 14th of the 15 active $5 games in Illinois, so most $5 alternatives will serve you better.
Why
↓Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Prizes hit less often here, roughly 20% per ticket (1 in 4.99).
- Expected value of $0.72 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$400,000
0 of 3 left
launch odds 1 in 1.6M
All claimed
$10,000
2 of 8 left
launch odds 1 in 599K
now ~1 in 544K
$1,000
9 of 50 left
launch odds 1 in 96K
now ~1 in 121K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | 1 in 1,595,960 | 3 | 0 | Claimed |
| $10,000 | 1 in 598,485 | 8 | 2 | 25% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 95,758 | 50 | 9 | 18% |
| $500 | 1 in 8,006 | 598 | 112 | 19% |
| $100 | 1 in 399 | 11,993 | 2,555 | 21% |
| $75 | 1 in 436 | 10,977 | 2,373 | 22% |
| $50 | 1 in 192 | 24,950 | 5,478 | 22% |
| $25 | 1 in 46 | 103,045 | 22,741 | 22% |
| $20 | 1 in 44 | 109,708 | 24,839 | 23% |
| $15 | 1 in 40 | 119,697 | 27,489 | 23% |
| $10 | 1 in 8 | 578,564 | 132,367 | 23% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$17,250,455
Current Prize Pool
$3,593,685
Payout Percentage
20.8%
Total Prizes Remaining
217,965
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
4,788,369
Estimated Remaining
1,087,645
% Remaining
22.7%
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
19
VALUESCORE
Poor
19
out of 100
Expected Value
11/40
Prize Quality
2/25
Win Frequency
2/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- Illinois
- Game Number
- 7598
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 9/2/2025
- Payout %
- 72.0%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
Compare this game with another →Official Source
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: Illinois Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.99 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 In the Money scratch-off a good buy?
In the Money has a ValueScore of 19/100, which is among the lowest-rated tickets in Illinois. The combination of poor expected value, limited prizes, or heavily depleted inventory makes it a poor choice compared to alternatives. Check other games before buying.
How much does In the Money cost?
In the Money costs $5 per ticket in Illinois. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $5 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the In the Money scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with In the Money are 1 in 4.99. This means roughly 1 in every 5 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for In the Money?
The top prize for In the Money is $400,000. 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 In the Money?
In the Money offers 11 distinct prize levels: $400,000 (3 total), $10,000 (8 total), $1,000 (50 total), $500 (598 total), $100 (11,993 total), $75 (10,977 total), $50 (24,950 total), $25 (103,045 total), $20 (109,708 total), $15 (119,697 total), and $10 (578,564 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 In the Money?
Based on our latest data, 23% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 217,965 out of 959,593 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is In the Money rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates In the Money at 19 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 In the Money released?
In the Money was released by the Illinois Lottery on September 2, 2025. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is In the Money data updated on ScratchCheck?
In the Money 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.