New York · $1 tickets
Best $1 New York Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 14 active $1 scratch-off games in the New York Lottery right now. Ranked by expected return — how much, on average, comes back for every $1 spent — the best is INSTANT TAKE 5 at $0.97 per $1. Updated Aug 2, 2026.
Across the 14 $1 New York games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.97 per $1 and the weakest $0.44 — a 53-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.63. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $7,000 on LUCKY 7'S (2 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INSTANT TAKE 5#1680 | $1 | $0.97 / $1 | $5,555 | 30,276,139 | 10/10 |
| 2 | INSTANT TAKE 5#1628 | $1 | $0.91 / $1 | $5,555 | 2,280,016 | 10/10 |
| 3 | INSTANT TAKE 5#1574 | $1 | $0.91 / $1 | $5,555 | 2,580,035 | 10/10 |
| 4 | LOOSE CHANGE#1707 | $1 | $0.64 / $1 | $500 | 37,978,508 | 8/8 |
| 5 | LUCKY 7s#1699 | $1 | $0.63 / $1 | $500 | 21,451,182 | 8/8 |
| 6 | TRIPLE MATCH#1659 | $1 | $0.60 / $1 | $3,000 | 2,835,265 | 10/10 |
| 7 | 7-11-21 TRIPLER#1690 | $1 | $0.60 / $1 | $2,100 | 5,343,691 | 27/27 |
| 8 | 10Xtra#1679 | $1 | $0.58 / $1 | $5,000 | 4,085,231 | 10/10 |
| 9 | 3-2-WON!#1648 | $1 | $0.55 / $1 | $3,000 | 2,542,843 | 13/13 |
| 10 | BONUS 5X#1638 | $1 | $0.53 / $1 | $5,000 | 2,148,462 | 10/10 |
| 11 | 9S IN A LINE DOUBLER#1665 | $1 | $0.52 / $1 | $999 | 1,179,627 | 10/10 |
| 12 | LUCKY 7'S#1653 | $1 | $0.50 / $1 | $7,000 | 3,047,649 | 9/9 |
| 13 | LOOSE CHANGE#1618 | $1 | $0.50 / $1 | $500 | 8,321,707 | 8/8 |
| 14 | LOOSE CHANGE#1552 | $1 | $0.44 / $1 | $500 | 5,262,387 | 8/8 |
Even the best $1 ticket almost always returns less than $1 per $1 played. These rankings tell you which games are less bad, not which are profitable. Play for fun, not for income.