The current odds of winning any prize on Instant Prize Crossword are 1 in 3.1 (32.21%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $2,000,000 top prize.

Yes. 3 of the 15 $2,000,000 top prizes have been claimed, and 12 are still unclaimed, as of Oct 26, 2026. We estimate about 70% of the game's 17,945,453 tickets are still unsold.

Yes. Instant Prize Crossword is on sale at California Lottery retailers, and the lottery hasn’t announced an end date.

Among the 13 $20 California scratchers on sale, Instant Prize Crossword ranks #6 for odds of breaking even, with 1 in 3.1 tickets winning at least the $20 ticket price back or a free ticket. Right now the $20 game with the best odds of breaking even is Golden State Riches, where 1 in 2.89 tickets wins at least $20 back.

Instant Prize Crossword has 13 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $2,000,000 at 1 in 1,050,861 (12 of 15 left); $25,000+ at 1 in 323,342 (27 of 32 left); $10,000+ at 1 in 197,036 (25 of 30 left); $5,000+ at 1 in 69,288 (118 of 147 left); $2,000+ at 1 in 3,550 (3,370 of 4,482 left); $1,000+ at 1 in 1,015 (8,866 of 11,997 left); $500+ at 1 in 367 (21,955 of 31,374 left); $250+ at 1 in 192 (31,345 of 44,845 left); $200+ at 1 in 94.2 (68,178 of 97,426 left); $100+ at 1 in 28.2 (313,877 of 448,992 left); $50+ at 1 in 12.2 (587,078 of 838,194 left); $25+ at 1 in 5.3 (1,343,014 of 1,916,238 left); Free ticket at 1 in 3.1 (1,684,177 of 2,395,084 left).

The odds of winning at least your $20 back on one Instant Prize Crossword ticket are 1 in 3.1 (32.21%), counting free-ticket prizes. The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 5.3 (18.86%).

Instant Prize Crossword costs $20 per ticket. It is sold at authorized California Lottery retailers throughout the state.

Yes — California scratchers and California scratch-offs are the same thing: a paper lottery ticket you scratch to reveal whether it wins. The California Lottery lists them under "Scratchers" on its own site. "Scratchers" is simply what most players in California call them, while "scratch-off" and "scratch ticket" are the terms used in other states. Every game ranked on this page is the same physical ticket, whichever name you use for it.

Instant Prize Crossword, a $20 California scratcher, was released on Jul 27, 2026 by the California Lottery.