INSTANT $500 is one of the New York Lottery's $10 scratch-off games. Its published overall odds are 1 in 4.19. The expected value is $0.68 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $500. Across every tier, 2% of prizes are still out there: most prizes have already been claimed. Its ValueScore is 39/100 (Below Avg). Against the rest of the state it is 55th out of 108 New York scratch-offs. At its own price point it is 13th of the 16 active $10 games in New York.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.19
Exp. Value
$0.68
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$500
Top Prizes Left
914
Prizes Remaining
2%
ValueScore™
39 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.68↓
BELOW AVERAGE
Weak value right now at #55 of the 108 active games we track in New York. Check the higher-ranked games in New York first.
Why
↓Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Win rate is typical, around 24% per ticket (1 in 4.19).
- Expected value of $0.68 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$500
914 of 56,773 left
launch odds 1 in 327
now ~1 in 468
$100
3,235 of 185,453 left
launch odds 1 in 100
now ~1 in 132
$50
6,475 of 386,143 left
launch odds 1 in 48
now ~1 in 66
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 | 1 in 326 | 56,773 | 914 | 2% |
| $100 | 1 in 100 | 185,453 | 3,235 | 2% |
| $50 | 1 in 48 | 386,143 | 6,475 | 2% |
| $30 | 1 in 40 | 463,197 | 8,609 | 2% |
| $20 | 1 in 17 | 1,112,235 | 23,162 | 2% |
| $15 | 1 in 50 | 370,842 | 9,454 | 3% |
| $10 | 1 in 10 | 1,853,183 | 50,285 | 3% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$126,474,020
Current Prize Pool
$2,470,420
Payout Percentage
2.0%
Total Prizes Remaining
102,134
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
18,552,591
Estimated Remaining
427,941
% Remaining
2.3%
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
39
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
39
out of 100
Expected Value
28/40
Prize Quality
0/25
Win Frequency
11/20
Inventory Health
0/15
Updated: 9/11/2026
Game Details
- State
- New York
- Game Number
- 1561
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 3/7/2023
- Payout %
- 68.2%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/11/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: New York Lottery
$10.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.19 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 INSTANT $500 scratch-off a good buy?
INSTANT $500 scores 39/100 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 $10 price point.
How much does INSTANT $500 cost?
INSTANT $500 costs $10 per ticket in New York. 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 INSTANT $500 scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with INSTANT $500 are 1 in 4.19. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for INSTANT $500?
The top prize for INSTANT $500 is $500. As of our latest update, 914 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for INSTANT $500?
INSTANT $500 offers 7 distinct prize levels: $500 (56,773 total), $100 (185,453 total), $50 (386,143 total), $30 (463,197 total), $20 (1,112,235 total), $15 (370,842 total), and $10 (1,853,183 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 INSTANT $500?
Based on our latest data, 2% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 102,134 out of 4,427,826 total). The vast majority of prizes have been claimed. This game is close to being retired.
How is INSTANT $500 rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates INSTANT $500 at 39 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 INSTANT $500 released?
INSTANT $500 was released by the New York Lottery on March 7, 2023. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is INSTANT $500 data updated on ScratchCheck?
INSTANT $500 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.