The current odds of winning any prize on MEGA Crossword are 1 in 3.91 (25.59%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $75,000 top prize.

Yes. 19 of the 35 $75,000 top prizes have been claimed, and 16 are still unclaimed, as of Oct 9, 2026. We estimate about 46% of the game's 42,608,979 tickets are still unsold.

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

Among the 12 $5 California scratchers on sale, MEGA Crossword ranks #8 for odds of breaking even, with 1 in 3.91 tickets winning at least the $5 ticket price back or a free ticket. Right now the $5 game with the best odds of breaking even is LOTERIA™ Extra!, where 1 in 3.53 tickets wins at least $5 back.

MEGA Crossword has 12 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $75,000 at 1 in 1,232,348 (16 of 35 left); $5,000+ at 1 in 72,226 (257 of 528 left); $1,000+ at 1 in 25,214 (509 of 1,082 left); $500+ at 1 in 2,875 (6,076 of 13,862 left); $100+ at 1 in 518 (31,227 of 71,150 left); $50+ at 1 in 202 (59,733 of 135,546 left); $30+ at 1 in 103 (94,186 of 213,342 left); $25+ at 1 in 63.7 (117,560 of 266,915 left); $20+ at 1 in 25.2 (473,640 of 1,066,570 left); $15+ at 1 in 11.7 (897,760 of 2,025,976 left); $10+ at 1 in 5.97 (1,623,874 of 3,626,455 left); Free ticket at 1 in 3.91 (1,741,077 of 3,732,722 left).

The odds of winning at least your $5 back on one MEGA Crossword ticket are 1 in 3.91 (25.59%), counting free-ticket prizes. The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 5.97 (16.76%).

MEGA Crossword costs $5 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.

MEGA Crossword, a $5 California scratcher, was released on Feb 16, 2026 by the California Lottery.