The current odds of winning any prize on Crossword Bonanza are 1 in 3.54 (28.26%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $400,000 top prize.

Yes. 1 of the 3 $400,000 top prizes has been claimed, and 2 are still unclaimed, as of Oct 7, 2026. We estimate about 55% of the game's 2,470,980 tickets are still unsold.

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

Among the 10 $20 New Jersey scratch-offs on sale, Crossword Bonanza ranks #1 for odds of breaking even, with 1 in 3.54 tickets winning at least the $20 ticket price back or a free ticket. No other $20 New Jersey scratch-off has better odds of breaking even right now.

Crossword Bonanza has 12 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $400,000 at 1 in 674,593 (2 of 3 left); $25,000+ at 1 in 103,784 (11 of 20 left); $2,000+ at 1 in 19,553 (56 of 104 left); $500+ at 1 in 297 (4,478 of 8,254 left); $200+ at 1 in 127 (6,056 of 11,350 left); $150+ at 1 in 77.3 (6,861 of 12,789 left); $100+ at 1 in 24.5 (37,560 of 69,990 left); $80+ at 1 in 19.7 (13,497 of 25,126 left); $60+ at 1 in 17 (11,071 of 20,591 left); $50+ at 1 in 9.25 (66,310 of 123,549 left); $30+ at 1 in 5.49 (99,970 of 185,335 left); Free ticket at 1 in 3.54 (135,362 of 247,075 left).

The odds of winning at least your $20 back on one Crossword Bonanza ticket are 1 in 3.54 (28.26%), counting free-ticket prizes. The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 5.49 (18.22%).

Crossword Bonanza costs $20 per ticket. It is sold at authorized New Jersey Lottery retailers throughout the state.

Yes — New Jersey instant games and New Jersey scratch-offs are the same thing: a paper lottery ticket you scratch to reveal whether it wins. The New Jersey Lottery lists them under "Scratch-Offs" on its own site. "Instant Games" is simply what most players in New Jersey call them, while "scratch-off" and "scratch ticket" are the terms used in other states. In New Jersey, "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.

Crossword Bonanza, a $20 New Jersey scratch-off, was released on Jul 7, 2026 by the New Jersey Lottery.