Crossword — $3 New Jersey Scratch-Off #01953
Crossword (#01953) is a $3 New Jersey scratch-off launched on December 10, 2025. As of September 12, 2026 it ranks #45 of 67 active games on current payout (67.5%, $2.02 expected back per ticket) and #1 of 4 $3 games, #12 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.76) and #34 on top-prize odds (1 in 1,113,755). Since launch the payout has risen 2.5 points (65.0% at launch) and the any-prize odds have improved 23.2% (1 in 4.89 at launch). 1 of 20 top prizes of $20,000 remain, and we estimate 1,113,755 tickets are still unsold (92.0% sold). That is below average for New Jersey; the New Jersey ranking lists show better payouts, including at $3.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in 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, 296,506 of 2,858,730 prizes (10.4%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | 1 in 699,540 | 1 in 1,113,755 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 5.0% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 635,945 | 1 in 1,113,755 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 4.5% |
| $500 | 1 in 304,148 | 1 in 278,439 | 46 | 42 | 4 | 8.7% |
| $100 | 1 in 430.9 | 1 in 487.4 | 32,466 | 30,181 | 2,285 | 7.0% |
| $25 | 1 in 33.3 | 1 in 37.6 | 419,734 | 390,109 | 29,625 | 7.1% |
| $10 | 1 in 23.8 | 1 in 24.9 | 587,648 | 542,899 | 44,749 | 7.6% |
| $5 | 1 in 16.7 | 1 in 14.7 | 839,166 | 763,579 | 75,587 | 9.0% |
| FREE $3 TICKETfree ticket | 1 in 14.3 | 1 in 7.72 | 979,628 | 835,374 | 144,254 | 14.7% |
| All prizes | 1 in 4.89 | 1 in 3.76 | 2,858,730 | 2,562,224 | 296,506 | 10.4% |
How Crossword has moved
Recent claims of $1,000 and up
- September 10, 2026: 19 $20,000 prizes were claimed; 1 remain.
- September 10, 2026: 21 $5,000 prizes were claimed; 1 remain.
- September 9, 2026: 19 $20,000 prizes were claimed; 1 remain.
- September 9, 2026: 21 $5,000 prizes were claimed; 1 remain.
Crossword: common questions
- How many $20,000 prizes are left in Crossword?
- 1 of 20 as of September 12, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 1,113,755.
- What are the odds of winning anything on Crossword?
- 1 in 3.76 today, compared with 1 in 4.89 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 3.76, and the odds of winning more than the $3 ticket price are 1 in 7.32.
- Is Crossword worth buying?
- Its current payout is 67.5% ($2.02 back per $3 ticket), rank #45 of 67 in New Jersey. The best $3 alternative today is LOTERIA (#01982, $3) at 64.7%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many Crossword tickets are left?
- We estimate 1,113,755 of roughly 13,990,800 printed tickets are unsold (92.0% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did Crossword launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on December 10, 2025. It is still on sale.