Crossword Wizard is a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket from the Minnesota Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.26, meaning roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize. The expected value is $0.70 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $200,000. About half the prizes remain (31% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 57/100 (Fair) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.26
Exp. Value
$0.70
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$200,000
Top Prizes Left
1
Prizes Remaining
31%
ValueScore™
57 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.70→
AVERAGE
Middle-of-the-pack value for a ticket at this price point.
Why
→Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Inventory is about half depleted, but a fair number of prizes are still out there.
- Expected value of $0.70 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | 1 in 488,500 | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 390,800 | 5 | 2 | 40% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 13,027 | 150 | 49 | 33% |
| $500 | 1 in 3,392 | 576 | 174 | 30% |
| $100 | 1 in 69 | 28,455 | Not reported | - |
| $50 | 1 in 32 | 61,858 | Not reported | - |
| $20 | 1 in 14 | 136,809 | Not reported | - |
| $10 | 1 in 5 | 371,171 | Not reported | - |
“Not reported” = the lottery publishes remaining-prize counts for its top prizes only.
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$1,288,000
Current Prize Pool
$356,000
Payout Percentage
27.6%
Total Prizes Remaining
226
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
2,396
Estimated Remaining
737
% Remaining
30.7%
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
57
VALUESCORE
Fair
57
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 8/11/2026
Game Details
- State
- Minnesota
- Game Number
- 2078
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 1/6/2026
- Payout %
- 70.0%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 8/11/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: Minnesota Lottery
$10.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.26 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 Crossword Wizard scratch-off a good buy?
Crossword Wizard is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 57/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in Minnesota. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the Minnesota rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does Crossword Wizard cost?
Crossword Wizard costs $10 per ticket in Minnesota. 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 Crossword Wizard scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Crossword Wizard are 1 in 3.26. This means roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Crossword Wizard?
The top prize for Crossword Wizard is $200,000. As of our latest update, 1 top prize remains unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Crossword Wizard?
Crossword Wizard offers 8 distinct prize levels: $200,000 (4 total), $10,000 (5 total), $1,000 (150 total), $500 (576 total), $100 (28,455 total), $50 (61,858 total), $20 (136,809 total), and $10 (371,171 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 Wizard?
Based on our latest data, 31% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 226 out of 735 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is Crossword Wizard rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Crossword Wizard at 57 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 Wizard released?
Crossword Wizard was released by the Minnesota Lottery on January 6, 2026. It has been on sale for roughly 7 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is Crossword Wizard data updated on ScratchCheck?
Crossword Wizard data comes directly from the official Minnesota Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.