The current odds of winning any prize on INSTANT $500 are 1 in 4.83 (20.71%), recalculated from the prizes still unclaimed. That covers every prize, from the smallest up to the $500 top prize.

Yes. 56006 of the 56773 $500 top prizes have been claimed, and 767 are still unclaimed, as of Oct 6, 2026. We estimate about 2% of the game's 18,552,591 tickets are still unsold.

Yes. INSTANT $500 is on sale at New York Lottery retailers, and the lottery hasn’t announced an end date.

Among the 11 $10 New York scratch-offs on sale, INSTANT $500 ranks #9 for odds of breaking even, with 1 in 4.83 tickets winning at least the $10 ticket price back. Right now the $10 game with the best odds of breaking even is BONUS BUCKS, where 1 in 3.87 tickets wins at least $10 back.

INSTANT $500 has 7 prize levels. Odds are for winning that amount or more on one ticket. Current odds, from the prizes still unclaimed: $500 at 1 in 565 (767 of 56,773 left); $100+ at 1 in 124 (2,729 of 185,453 left); $50+ at 1 in 48.7 (5,401 of 386,143 left); $30+ at 1 in 26.8 (7,306 of 463,197 left); $20+ at 1 in 11.9 (20,101 of 1,112,235 left); $15+ at 1 in 9.7 (8,419 of 370,842 left); $10+ at 1 in 4.83 (45,112 of 1,853,183 left).

The odds of winning at least your $10 back on one INSTANT $500 ticket are 1 in 4.83 (20.71%). The odds of winning more than you paid are 1 in 9.7 (10.31%).

INSTANT $500 costs $10 per ticket. It is sold at authorized New York Lottery retailers throughout the state.

Yes — New York scratch tickets and New York scratch-offs are the same thing: a paper lottery ticket you scratch to reveal whether it wins. The New York Lottery lists them under "Scratch-Off Games" on its own site. "Scratch Tickets" is simply what most players in New York 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.