The least-bad Illinois scratch-off at every price, ranked by real after-tax value. Updated October 1, 2026.
Almost every scratch-off loses money on average — these lose the least after the lump-sum cut and federal + Illinois taxes, and still have a top prize left to win. Hard-to-find tickets are flagged so you don't waste a trip.
LOOSE CHANGE BOOST returns about $0.66 per $1 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 13 of 25 $1K top prizes left — the best of 5 $1 games in Illinois.
ADD IT UP returns about $1.33 per $2 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 3 of 4 $20K top prizes left — the best of 5 $2 games in Illinois.
BONUS WORD CROSSWORD returns about $2.06 per $3 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 8 of 8 $50K top prizes left — the best of 2 $3 games in Illinois.
GALAXY BLAST returns about $3.60 per $5 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 3 of 3 $556K top prizes left — the best of 11 $5 games in Illinois.
GOLDEN CASINO returns about $7.63 per $10 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 1 of 3 $600K top prize left — the best of 13 $10 games in Illinois.
BIG-TIME BLOWOUT returns about $15.40 per $20 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 968 of 1152 $2K top prizes left — the best of 8 $20 games in Illinois.
$1,000,000 CROSSWORD 50X returns about $18.79 per $25 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 5 of 5 $1M top prizes left — the best of 2 $25 games in Illinois.
BLOWOUT X returns about $23.60 per $30 ticket on average after the lump-sum cut and taxes, with 869 of 1513 $3K top prizes left — the best of 5 $30 games in Illinois.
Skip it — none of the 2 $50 games has a top prize left with honest numbers behind it.
Best & worst Illinois scratch-offs, with full odds →
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