Instant Prize Crossword — $20 California Scratcher #1739
Instant Prize Crossword (#1739) is a $20 California scratcher launched on July 27, 2026. As of September 9, 2026 it ranks #14 of 54 active games on current payout (77.5%, $15.49 expected back per ticket) and #9 of 14 $20 games, #13 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.21) and #21 on top-prize odds (1 in 1,055,840). Since launch the payout has fallen 0.9 points (78.4% at launch) and the any-prize odds have improved 3.0% (1 in 3.31 at launch). 15 of 15 top prizes of $2,000,000 remain, and we estimate 15,837,604 tickets are still unsold (11.1% sold). That is a middle-of-the-pack game: fine to play, but the ranking lists show better value at the same price.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in Instant Prize Crossword, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. Across all tiers, 4,932,843 of 5,788,856 prizes (85.2%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000,000 | 1 in 1,197,542 | 1 in 1,055,840 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 100.0% |
| $25,000 | 1 in 561,348 | 1 in 510,890 | 32 | 1 | 31 | 96.9% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 598,771 | 1 in 633,504 | 30 | 5 | 25 | 83.3% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 122,198 | 1 in 118,191 | 147 | 13 | 134 | 91.2% |
| $2,000 | 1 in 4,008 | 1 in 3,934 | 4,482 | 456 | 4,026 | 89.8% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 1,497 | 1 in 1,492 | 11,997 | 1,385 | 10,612 | 88.5% |
| $500 | 1 in 573.0 | 1 in 592.4 | 31,374 | 4,639 | 26,735 | 85.2% |
| $250 | 1 in 401.0 | 1 in 415.3 | 44,845 | 6,709 | 38,136 | 85.0% |
| $200 | 1 in 184.0 | 1 in 190.9 | 97,426 | 14,472 | 82,954 | 85.1% |
| $100 | 1 in 40.0 | 1 in 41.5 | 448,992 | 67,318 | 381,674 | 85.0% |
| $50 | 1 in 21.0 | 1 in 22.2 | 838,194 | 124,704 | 713,490 | 85.1% |
| $25 | 1 in 9.00 | 1 in 9.70 | 1,916,238 | 284,047 | 1,632,191 | 85.2% |
| Ticketfree ticket | 1 in 8.00 | 1 in 7.75 | 2,395,084 | 352,264 | 2,042,820 | 85.3% |
| All prizes | 1 in 3.31 | 1 in 3.21 | 5,788,856 | 856,013 | 4,932,843 | 85.2% |
How Instant Prize Crossword has moved
Recent claims of $1,000 and up
- September 9, 2026: 13 $2,000 prizes were claimed; 4,026 remain.
- September 9, 2026: 76 $1,000 prizes were claimed; 10,612 remain.
Instant Prize Crossword: common questions
- How many $2,000,000 prizes are left in Instant Prize Crossword?
- 15 of 15 as of September 9, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 1,055,840.
- What are the odds of winning anything on Instant Prize Crossword?
- 1 in 3.21 today, compared with 1 in 3.31 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 5.47, and the odds of winning more than the $20 ticket price are 1 in 5.48.
- Is Instant Prize Crossword worth buying?
- Its current payout is 77.5% ($15.49 back per $20 ticket), rank #14 of 54 in California. The best $20 alternative today is 100X (#1696, $20) at 80.7%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many Instant Prize Crossword tickets are left?
- We estimate 15,837,604 of roughly 19,160,672 printed tickets are unsold (11.1% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did Instant Prize Crossword launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on July 27, 2026. It is still on sale.
Other $20 California scratchers
- 100X — 80.7% payout, 1 in 3.17 any prize
- Set for Life — 78.8% payout, 1 in 3.58 any prize
- MONOPOLY — 78.6% payout, 1 in 3.48 any prize
- Golden State Riches — 78.4% payout, 1 in 2.89 any prize
- $5,000,000 Superstar — 78.4% payout, 1 in 3.26 any prize