The current odds of winning any prize on Holiday Bucks are 1 in 4.04 (24.73%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $500,000 top prize.

Yes. 1 of the 3 $500,000 top prizes has been claimed, and 2 are still unclaimed, as of Jan 31, 2026. We estimate about 22% of the game's 2,870,628 tickets are still unsold.

Yes. Holiday Bucks is on sale at Illinois Lottery retailers, and the lottery hasn’t announced an end date.

Holiday Bucks has 13 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $500,000 at 1 in 322,768 (2 of 3 left); $50,000+ at 1 in 322,768 (0 of 3 left); $5,000+ at 1 in 64,554 (8 of 30 left); $1,000+ at 1 in 16,138 (30 of 140 left); $500+ at 1 in 2,130 (263 of 1,299 left); $300+ at 1 in 1,145 (261 of 1,420 left); $200+ at 1 in 627 (466 of 2,532 left); $100+ at 1 in 86.3 (6,449 of 33,877 left); $50+ at 1 in 23.7 (19,719 of 99,642 left); $30+ at 1 in 17.3 (10,093 of 50,342 left); $25+ at 1 in 13.4 (10,729 of 51,705 left); $20+ at 1 in 7.77 (35,045 of 167,543 left); $10+ at 1 in 4.04 (76,566 of 335,150 left).

The odds of winning at least your $10 back on one Holiday Bucks ticket are 1 in 4.04 (24.73%). The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 7.77 (12.87%).

Holiday Bucks costs $10 per ticket. It is sold at authorized Illinois Lottery retailers throughout the state.

Yes — Illinois instant tickets and Illinois scratch-offs are the same thing: a paper lottery ticket you scratch to reveal whether it wins. The Illinois Lottery lists them under "Instant Tickets" on its own site. "Instant Tickets" is simply what most players in Illinois call them, while "scratch-off" and "scratch ticket" are the terms used in other states. In Illinois, "instant games" and "instant tickets" mean these same paper tickets you buy at a retailer — not the lottery's online games. Every game ranked on this page is the same physical ticket, whichever name you use for it.

Holiday Bucks, a $10 Illinois scratch-off, was released on Oct 7, 2025 by the Illinois Lottery.