Crossword Gems is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the Minnesota Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.66, meaning roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize. The expected value is $0.68 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $100,000. Most prizes are still available (67% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 68/100 (Good) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.66
Exp. Value
$0.68
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$100,000
Top Prizes Left
4
Prizes Remaining
67%
ValueScore™
68 / 100
Good
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.68↑
ABOVE AVERAGE
Strong overall value — among the better games we track right now.
Why
- Strong prize quality: a healthy share of the bigger top and mid-tier prizes are still unclaimed.
- Healthy inventory: a large share of this game's prizes are still unclaimed.
- Expected value of $0.68 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Simulate This Game
Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: Minnesota Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.66 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.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | 1 in 817,650 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| $1,500 | 1 in 327,060 | 10 | 7 | 70% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 81,765 | 40 | 29 | 73% |
| $500 | 1 in 7,714 | 424 | 281 | 66% |
| $200 | 1 in 4,933 | 663 | Not reported | - |
| $150 | 1 in 2,400 | 1,363 | Not reported | - |
| $100 | 1 in 1,002 | 3,263 | Not reported | - |
| $75 | 1 in 1,191 | 2,745 | Not reported | - |
| $50 | 1 in 600 | 5,453 | Not reported | - |
| $45 | 1 in 499 | 6,552 | Not reported | - |
| $30 | 1 in 240 | 13,631 | Not reported | - |
| $25 | 1 in 56 | 58,882 | Not reported | - |
| $20 | 1 in 50 | 65,412 | Not reported | - |
| $15 | 1 in 31 | 106,337 | Not reported | - |
| $10 | 1 in 15 | 220,723 | Not reported | - |
| $5 | 1 in 8 | 408,844 | Not reported | - |
“Not reported” = the lottery publishes remaining-prize counts for its top prizes only.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
68
VALUESCORE
Good
68
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 6/27/2026
Game Details
- State
- Minnesota
- Game Number
- 2056
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 8/5/2025
- Payout %
- 68.1%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 6/27/2026
Compare
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View on Minnesota Lottery ↗Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Crossword Gems scratch-off a good buy?
Crossword Gems is a solid choice. Its ValueScore of 68/100 is above average, indicating good expected value and a healthy prize pool. It performs better than most $5 tickets in Minnesota.
How much does Crossword Gems cost?
Crossword Gems costs $5 per ticket in Minnesota. 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 Crossword Gems scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Crossword Gems are 1 in 3.66. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Crossword Gems?
The top prize for Crossword Gems is $100,000. As of our latest update, 4 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Crossword Gems?
Crossword Gems offers 16 distinct prize levels: $100,000 (4 total), $1,500 (10 total), $1,000 (40 total), $500 (424 total), $200 (663 total), $150 (1,363 total), $100 (3,263 total), $75 (2,745 total), $50 (5,453 total), $45 (6,552 total), $30 (13,631 total), $25 (58,882 total), $20 (65,412 total), $15 (106,337 total), $10 (220,723 total), and $5 (408,844 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 Crossword Gems?
Based on our latest data, 67% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 321 out of 478 total). Roughly half the prizes remain, which is typical for an active game.
How is Crossword Gems rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Crossword Gems at 68 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 Crossword Gems released?
Crossword Gems was released by the Minnesota Lottery on August 5, 2025. It has been on sale for roughly 11 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is Crossword Gems data updated on ScratchCheck?
Crossword Gems data is collected directly from official Minnesota Lottery publications by ScratchCheck's automated pipeline. Prize counts and odds typically refresh daily or whenever the lottery publishes new data.