The current odds of winning any prize on Winter Winnings are 1 in 3.86 (25.89%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $250,000 top prize.

Not yet. All 3 $250,000 top prizes are still unclaimed, as of Oct 5, 2026. We estimate nearly all of the game's 4,794,216 tickets are still unsold.

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

Among the 12 $5 Illinois scratch-offs on sale, Winter Winnings ranks #1 for odds of breaking even, with 1 in 3.86 tickets winning at least the $5 ticket price back. No other $5 Illinois scratch-off has better odds of breaking even right now.

Winter Winnings has 14 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $250,000 at 1 in 1,574,403 (3 of 3 left); $10,000+ at 1 in 393,601 (9 of 10 left); $1,000+ at 1 in 76,181 (50 of 50 left); $500+ at 1 in 6,102 (712 of 717 left); $250+ at 1 in 3,039 (780 of 792 left); $125+ at 1 in 1,735 (1,169 of 1,187 left); $100+ at 1 in 345 (10,983 of 11,161 left); $75+ at 1 in 204 (9,424 of 9,587 left); $50+ at 1 in 66.7 (47,668 of 48,485 left); $25+ at 1 in 31.2 (80,759 of 82,063 left); $20+ at 1 in 20.5 (78,566 of 79,850 left); $15+ at 1 in 15.3 (78,619 of 79,850 left); $10+ at 1 in 6.83 (383,199 of 389,255 left); $5+ at 1 in 3.86 (531,118 of 539,015 left).

The odds of winning at least your $5 back on one Winter Winnings ticket are 1 in 3.86 (25.89%). The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 6.83 (14.65%).

Winter Winnings costs $5 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.

Winter Winnings, a $5 Illinois scratch-off, was released on Oct 6, 2026 by the Illinois Lottery.