2026 is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the New York Lottery. The published overall odds are 1 in 4.33. Right now the math works out to $0.65 back per $1 spent, an average figure for this kind of game. The top prize is $500,000. By our count most prizes have already been claimed, with 13% of all prizes unclaimed. It scores 35/100 (Below Avg) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore. That makes it #65 of the 108 active games we track in New York, and 20th out of 28 $5 tickets in New York.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.33
Exp. Value
$0.65
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$500,000
Top Prizes Left
0
Prizes Remaining
13%
ValueScore™
35 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.65↓
BELOW AVERAGE
Ranked 65th out of 108 New York scratch-offs. Better options exist, including 19 other $5 New York games ranked higher.
Why
↓Weak prize quality: relatively few of the bigger top and mid-tier prizes are still unclaimed.
- Low inventory: most of this game's prizes have already been claimed.
- Odds of 1 in 4.33 put the win rate squarely in the normal range.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$500,000
0 of 3 left
launch odds 1 in 2.0M
All claimed
$2,000
1 of 8 left
launch odds 1 in 765K
now ~1 in 791K
$500
40 of 378 left
launch odds 1 in 16K
now ~1 in 20K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | 1 in 2,040,067 | 3 | 0 | Claimed |
| $2,000 | 1 in 765,025 | 8 | 1 | 13% |
| $500 | 1 in 16,191 | 378 | 40 | 11% |
| $200 | 1 in 2,003 | 3,055 | 308 | 10% |
| $100 | 1 in 343 | 17,836 | 1,863 | 10% |
| $50 | 1 in 80 | 76,541 | 8,505 | 11% |
| $20 | 1 in 67 | 91,799 | 10,718 | 12% |
| $15 | 1 in 50 | 122,380 | 13,706 | 11% |
| $10 | 1 in 11 | 550,850 | 69,344 | 13% |
| $5 | 1 in 11 | 550,850 | 78,207 | 14% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$19,861,080
Current Prize Pool
$2,199,575
Payout Percentage
11.1%
Total Prizes Remaining
182,692
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
6,121,321
Estimated Remaining
791,056
% Remaining
12.9%
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
35
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
35
out of 100
Expected Value
20/40
Prize Quality
3/25
Win Frequency
9/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- New York
- Game Number
- 1678
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 12/2/2025
- Payout %
- 64.9%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: New York Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.33 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 2026 scratch-off a good buy?
2026 scores 35/100 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 New York at the $5 price point.
How much does 2026 cost?
2026 costs $5 per ticket in New York. 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 2026 scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with 2026 are 1 in 4.33. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for 2026?
The top prize for 2026 is $500,000. 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 2026?
2026 offers 10 distinct prize levels: $500,000 (3 total), $2,000 (8 total), $500 (378 total), $200 (3,055 total), $100 (17,836 total), $50 (76,541 total), $20 (91,799 total), $15 (122,380 total), $10 (550,850 total), and $5 (550,850 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 2026?
Based on our latest data, 13% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 182,692 out of 1,413,700 total). The vast majority of prizes have been claimed. This game is close to being retired.
How is 2026 rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates 2026 at 35 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 2026 released?
2026 was released by the New York Lottery on December 2, 2025. It has been on sale for roughly 9 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is 2026 data updated on ScratchCheck?
2026 data comes directly from the official New York Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.