Crossword (Game #1953)
Image Credit: New Jersey Lottery
12
VALUESCORE
Poor
Crossword (Game #1953) is one of the New Jersey Lottery's $3 scratch-off games. Published overall odds: 1 in 4.89. Dollar for dollar, it pays back around $0.65 per $1, an average return for a scratch-off. The top prize is $20,000. 11% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so most prizes have already been claimed. On ScratchCheck's 0-100 ValueScore it earns a 12 (Poor). Today it stands at 66th out of 66 New Jersey scratch-offs; among $3 tickets it is 4th of the 4 active $3 games in New Jersey.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.89
Derived
Exp. Value
$0.65
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$20,000
Top Prizes Left
1
Prizes Remaining
11%
ValueScore™
12 / 100
Poor
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.65↓
POOR VALUE
The numbers work against it: #66 of the 66 active games we track in New Jersey.
Why
↓Prize quality is thin, with the bigger winners mostly gone.
- You get back about $0.65 per $1 on average, which is normal for this price.
- At 1 in 4.89, winning tickets turn up less often than usual.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$20,000
1 of 20 left
launch odds 1 in 699K
now ~1 in 1.5M
$5,000
1 of 22 left
launch odds 1 in 635K
now ~1 in 1.5M
$500
4 of 46 left
launch odds 1 in 304K
now ~1 in 385K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | 1 in 699,540 | 20 | 1 | 5% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 635,945 | 22 | 1 | 5% |
| $500 | 1 in 304,148 | 46 | 4 | 9% |
| $100 | 1 in 431 | 32,466 | 2,508 | 8% |
| $25 | 1 in 33 | 419,734 | 32,486 | 8% |
| $10 | 1 in 24 | 587,648 | 48,585 | 8% |
| $5 | 1 in 17 | 839,166 | 80,974 | 10% |
| $3 | 1 in 14 | 979,628 | 150,261 | 15% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$27,284,144
Current Prize Pool
$2,431,453
Payout Percentage
8.9%
Total Prizes Remaining
314,820
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
13,979,190
Estimated Remaining
1,539,470
% Remaining
11.0%
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
12
VALUESCORE
Poor
12
out of 100
Expected Value
4/40
Prize Quality
1/25
Win Frequency
2/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- New Jersey
- Game Number
- 1953
- Ticket Price
- $3
- Start Date
- 12/10/2025
- Payout %
- 65.0%
- Data Source
- State lottery
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: New Jersey Lottery
$3.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.89 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 (Game #1953) scratch-off a good buy?
Crossword (Game #1953) has a ValueScore of 12/100, which is among the lowest-rated tickets in New Jersey. 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 Crossword (Game #1953) cost?
Crossword (Game #1953) costs $3 per ticket in New Jersey. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $3 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Crossword (Game #1953) scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Crossword (Game #1953) are 1 in 4.89. This means roughly 1 in every 5 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Crossword (Game #1953)?
The top prize for Crossword (Game #1953) is $20,000. As of our latest update, 1 top prize remains unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Crossword (Game #1953)?
Crossword (Game #1953) offers 8 distinct prize levels: $20,000 (20 total), $5,000 (22 total), $500 (46 total), $100 (32,466 total), $25 (419,734 total), $10 (587,648 total), $5 (839,166 total), and $3 (979,628 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 (Game #1953)?
Based on our latest data, 11% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 314,820 out of 2,858,730 total). The vast majority of prizes have been claimed. This game is close to being retired.
How is Crossword (Game #1953) rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Crossword (Game #1953) at 12 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 (Game #1953) released?
Crossword (Game #1953) was released by the New Jersey Lottery on December 10, 2025. It has been on sale for roughly 9 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is Crossword (Game #1953) data updated on ScratchCheck?
Crossword (Game #1953) data comes directly from the official New Jersey Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.