Bits & Odds

Crossword — $3 New Jersey Scratch-Off #01980

Data captured September 9, 2026 · launched August 11, 2026

Crossword (#01980) is a $3 New Jersey scratch-off launched on August 11, 2026. As of September 9, 2026 it ranks #57 of 67 active games on current payout (64.0%, $1.92 expected back per ticket) and #3 of 4 $3 games, #60 on any-prize odds (1 in 4.97) and #18 on top-prize odds (1 in 708,858). Since launch the payout has fallen 1.0 points (65.0% at launch) and the any-prize odds have worsened 1.5% (1 in 4.89 at launch). 19 of 20 top prizes of $20,000 remain, and we estimate 13,468,302 tickets are still unsold (4.2% sold). That is below average for New Jersey; the New Jersey ranking lists show better payouts, including at $3.

Current payout
64.0%
65.0% at launch
Expected value
$1.92
per $3 ticket
Any-prize odds
1 in 4.97
1 in 4.89 at launch
Cash odds
1 in 4.97
excludes free tickets
Profit odds
1 in 7.57
win more than $3
$600+ odds
1 in 328,495
claim-at-lottery prizes
Top prizes left
19 of 20
$20,000 each
Tickets remaining
95.8%
≈ 13,468,302 tickets

Prizes remaining

Every prize level in 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, 2,711,016 of 2,871,544 prizes (94.4%) are still out there.

PrizeOdds at launchOdds now TotalClaimedRemaining% left
$20,000 1 in 702,670 1 in 708,858 20 1 19 95.0%
$5,000 1 in 638,791 1 in 612,196 22 0 22 100.0%
$500 1 in 305,509 1 in 292,789 46 0 46 100.0%
$100 1 in 430.5 1 in 437.6 32,645 1,870 30,775 94.3%
$25 1 in 33.3 1 in 33.9 421,589 24,531 397,058 94.2%
$10 1 in 23.8 1 in 24.2 590,267 34,166 556,101 94.2%
$5 1 in 16.7 1 in 16.9 843,226 47,856 795,370 94.3%
FREE $3 TICKETfree ticket 1 in 14.3 1 in 14.5 983,729 52,104 931,625 94.7%
All prizes1 in 4.891 in 4.97 2,871,544160,528 2,711,01694.4%

How Crossword has moved

62% 64% 66% Sep 2026Sep 2026Sep 2026
Current payout (solid) and any-prize odds (dashed, inverted so up is better) since we began tracking Crossword. 3 daily readings.

Crossword: common questions

How many $20,000 prizes are left in Crossword?
19 of 20 as of September 9, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 708,858.
What are the odds of winning anything on Crossword?
1 in 4.97 today, compared with 1 in 4.89 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 4.97, and the odds of winning more than the $3 ticket price are 1 in 7.57.
Is Crossword worth buying?
Its current payout is 64.0% ($1.92 back per $3 ticket), rank #57 of 67 in New Jersey. The best $3 alternative today is Crossword (#01953, $3) at 68.0%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
How many Crossword tickets are left?
We estimate 13,468,302 of roughly 14,053,400 printed tickets are unsold (4.2% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
When did Crossword launch and is it still on sale?
It launched on August 11, 2026. It is still on sale.

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