INSTANT $500 — $10 New York Scratch-Off #1561
INSTANT $500 (#1561) is a $10 New York scratch-off launched on March 7, 2023. As of October 25, 2026 it ranks #69 of 109 active games on current payout (65.0%, $6.50 expected back per ticket) and #13 of 16 $10 games, #27 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.60) and #6 on top-prize odds (1 in 434). Since launch the payout has fallen 3.2 points (68.2% at launch) and your chance of winning something has risen 16.2% (1 in 4.19 at launch). 719 of 56773 top prizes of $500 remain, and we estimate 311,884 tickets are still unsold (98.3% sold). That is below average for New York; the New York ranking lists show better payouts, including at $10.
Top prize still waiting. Last 2% of tickets, 719 top prizes still waiting. More New York games like this.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in INSTANT $500, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. To set its odds of $1,000 or more (or any other prize size) against every other New York game, see odds by prize size. Across all tiers, 86,578 of 4,427,826 prizes (2.0%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | 1 in 326.5 | 1 in 433.8 | 56,773 | 56,054 | 719 | 1.3% |
| $100 | 1 in 99.9 | 1 in 121.0 | 185,453 | 182,875 | 2,578 | 1.4% |
| $50 | 1 in 48.0 | 1 in 60.9 | 386,143 | 381,023 | 5,120 | 1.3% |
| $30 | 1 in 40.0 | 1 in 44.7 | 463,197 | 456,223 | 6,974 | 1.5% |
| $20 | 1 in 16.7 | 1 in 16.2 | 1,112,235 | 1,092,936 | 19,299 | 1.7% |
| $15 | 1 in 50.0 | 1 in 38.3 | 370,842 | 362,697 | 8,145 | 2.2% |
| $10 | 1 in 10.0 | 1 in 7.13 | 1,853,183 | 1,809,440 | 43,743 | 2.4% |
| All prizes | 1 in 4.19 | 1 in 3.60 | 4,427,826 | 4,341,248 | 86,578 | 2.0% |
How INSTANT $500 has moved
INSTANT $500: common questions
- How many $500 prizes are left in INSTANT $500?
- 719 of 56773 as of October 25, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 434.
- What are the odds of winning anything on INSTANT $500?
- 1 in 3.60 as of October 25, 2026, compared with 1 in 4.19 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 3.60, and the odds of winning more than the $10 ticket price are 1 in 7.28.
- Is INSTANT $500 worth buying?
- Its current payout is 65.0% ($6.50 back per $10 ticket), rank #69 of 109 in New York. The best $10 alternative as of October 25, 2026 is $50 OR $100 (#1646, $10) at 74.2%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many INSTANT $500 tickets are left?
- We estimate 311,884 of roughly 18,531,830 printed tickets are unsold (98.3% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did INSTANT $500 launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on March 7, 2023. It is still on sale.
Other $10 New York scratch-offs
- $50 OR $100 — 74.2% payout, 1 in 7.62 any prize
- SET FOR LIFE — 73.3% payout, 1 in 5.63 any prize
- $3,000,000 BONUS STARS — 73.2% payout, 1 in 3.80 any prize
- BONUS 50X — 72.5% payout, 1 in 3.86 any prize
- $5,000 HOLIDAY FRENZY/$5,000 GOLD — 70.0% payout, 1 in 3.55 any prize