Best $2 California Scratchers (September 2026)
As of September 18, 2026, 7 $2 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 67.2% current payout. The best of them is Set for Life at 71.1% ($1.42 back per ticket, 1 in 4.61 for any prize).
Price is the strongest predictor of payout on a scratcher: the more a ticket costs, the larger the share of its price the lottery returns in prizes. In California today, $1 games average 67.6%, $3 games average 67.2%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 72.7%, $20 games average 77.6%, $30 games average 79.0%. That is an average, not a rule: within this $2 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 6.6 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $2
Set for Life
#173671.1% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.42
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.61
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.40
- Top prizes
- 2 of 2
Best payout - 2 $2
10X The Cash
#171970.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.41
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.62
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.47
- Top prizes
- 4 of 20
- 3 $2
Dominoes
#172366.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.33
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.02
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.87
- Top prizes
- 10 of 16
- 4 $2
MONOPOLY
#166566.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.33
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.02
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.88
- Top prizes
- 15 of 28
- 5 $2
GOOOAAAL!
#172865.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.01
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.86
- Top prizes
- 11 of 20
- 6 $2
Planetary Payout
#174165.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.07
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.90
- Top prizes
- 17 of 20
New - 7 $2
Ca$h Doubler
#173264.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.29
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.23
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.50
- Top prizes
- 9 of 15
Payout is what the remaining prize pool returns per dollar; profit odds count only prizes larger than the ticket price. Definitions are on the methodology page.
Compare all 7 games in a table
| # Game | Price | Payout now | EV / ticket | Any-prize odds | Cash odds | Profit odds | Top prize | Top left | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Set for Life | $2 | 71.1% | $1.42 | 1 in 4.61 | 1 in 4.61 | 1 in 8.40 | $1,200,000 | 2 | +0.9 pts |
| 2. 10X The Cash | $2 | 70.4% | $1.41 | 1 in 3.62 | 1 in 3.62 | 1 in 6.47 | $30,000 | 4 | -0.1 pts |
| 3. Dominoes | $2 | 66.5% | $1.33 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 6.87 | $30,000 | 10 | -0.1 pts |
| 4. MONOPOLY | $2 | 66.3% | $1.33 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 6.88 | $30,000 | 15 | -0.0 pts |
| 5. GOOOAAAL! | $2 | 65.8% | $1.32 | 1 in 4.01 | 1 in 4.01 | 1 in 6.86 | $20,000 | 11 | -0.1 pts |
| 6. Planetary Payout New | $2 | 65.8% | $1.32 | 1 in 4.07 | 1 in 4.07 | 1 in 6.90 | $20,000 | 17 | +0.8 pts |
| 7. Ca$h Doubler | $2 | 64.5% | $1.29 | 1 in 4.23 | 1 in 4.23 | 1 in 7.50 | $20,000 | 9 | -0.4 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $2 California scratcher is best right now?
- Set for Life (#1736) at 71.1% current payout, about $1.42 back per ticket, as of September 18, 2026.
- Are $2 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $2 tier averages 67.2% current payout across 7 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 67.6%, $3 games average 67.2%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 72.7%, $20 games average 77.6%, $30 games average 79.0%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $2 games are on sale in California?
- 7 as of September 18, 2026. We only publish a price page when at least three games are active at that price.
- Do these numbers include free-ticket prizes?
- The payout and any-prize odds columns do. The cash-odds column excludes free tickets, and the profit-odds column counts only prizes larger than the $2 ticket price.