$250,000 Crossword — $10 New Jersey Scratch-Off #01996
$250,000 Crossword (#01996) is a $10 New Jersey scratch-off launched on August 4, 2026. As of September 12, 2026 it ranks #18 of 67 active games on current payout (72.0%, $7.20 expected back per ticket) and #5 of 14 $10 games, #23 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.97) and #11 on top-prize odds (1 in 523,019). Since launch the payout has fallen 0.0 points (72.0% at launch) and the any-prize odds have worsened 0.8% (1 in 3.94 at launch). 6 of 6 top prizes of $250,000 remain, and we estimate 3,138,114 tickets are still unsold (14.5% sold). That is a middle-of-the-pack game: fine to play, but the ranking lists show better value at the same price.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in $250,000 Crossword, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. Across all tiers, 790,771 of 931,553 prizes (84.9%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 1 in 611,365 | 1 in 523,019 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 100.0% |
| $20,000 | 1 in 366,819 | 1 in 392,264 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 80.0% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 152,841 | 1 in 149,434 | 24 | 3 | 21 | 87.5% |
| $525 | 1 in 3,059 | 1 in 3,123 | 1,199 | 194 | 1,005 | 83.8% |
| $500 | 1 in 3,044 | 1 in 3,068 | 1,205 | 182 | 1,023 | 84.9% |
| $225 | 1 in 2,495 | 1 in 2,543 | 1,470 | 236 | 1,234 | 83.9% |
| $150 | 1 in 1,535 | 1 in 1,554 | 2,389 | 370 | 2,019 | 84.5% |
| $130 | 1 in 1,332 | 1 in 1,345 | 2,754 | 421 | 2,333 | 84.7% |
| $100 | 1 in 136.4 | 1 in 138.3 | 26,898 | 4,207 | 22,691 | 84.4% |
| $50 | 1 in 25.9 | 1 in 26.1 | 141,784 | 21,760 | 120,024 | 84.7% |
| $30 | 1 in 36.8 | 1 in 37.2 | 99,685 | 15,272 | 84,413 | 84.7% |
| $25 | 1 in 85.7 | 1 in 86.6 | 42,780 | 6,552 | 36,228 | 84.7% |
| $20 | 1 in 15.0 | 1 in 15.2 | 244,562 | 37,451 | 207,111 | 84.7% |
| FREE TICKETfree ticket | 1 in 10.0 | 1 in 10.0 | 366,787 | 54,132 | 312,655 | 85.2% |
| All prizes | 1 in 3.94 | 1 in 3.97 | 931,553 | 140,782 | 790,771 | 84.9% |
How $250,000 Crossword has moved
Recent claims of $1,000 and up
- September 10, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 21 remain.
- September 10, 2026: 2 $20,000 prizes were claimed; 8 remain.
- September 10, 2026: 2 $1,000 prizes were claimed; 22 remain.
- September 10, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 22 remain.
$250,000 Crossword: common questions
- How many $250,000 prizes are left in $250,000 Crossword?
- 6 of 6 as of September 12, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 523,019.
- What are the odds of winning anything on $250,000 Crossword?
- 1 in 3.97 today, compared with 1 in 3.94 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 3.97, and the odds of winning more than the $10 ticket price are 1 in 6.56.
- Is $250,000 Crossword worth buying?
- Its current payout is 72.0% ($7.20 back per $10 ticket), rank #18 of 67 in New Jersey. The best $10 alternative today is Disco Dollarfest (#01951, $10) at 75.9%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many $250,000 Crossword tickets are left?
- We estimate 3,138,114 of roughly 3,668,190 printed tickets are unsold (14.5% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did $250,000 Crossword launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on August 4, 2026. It is still on sale.
Other $10 New Jersey scratch-offs
- Disco Dollarfest — 75.9% payout, 1 in 3.49 any prize
- $1,000,000 Spectacular — 73.4% payout, 1 in 3.75 any prize
- Cash Fever — 72.9% payout, 1 in 3.87 any prize
- Ruby 7's — 72.0% payout, 1 in 4.08 any prize
- 50X Cash Blitz — 71.2% payout, 1 in 3.68 any prize