Best $10 California Scratchers (October 2026)
As of October 25, 2026, 10 $10 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 73.6% current payout. The best of them is Set For Life (#1748) at 81.6% ($8.16 back per ticket, 1 in 3.87 for any prize).
Price is the strongest predictor of payout on a scratcher: across a lottery's games, pricier tickets tend to return a larger share of their price in prizes. In California as of October 25, 2026, $1 games average 68.1%, $2 games average 66.6%, $3 games average 66.9%, $5 games average 70.1%, $20 games average 77.6%, $30 games average 78.0%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $10 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 13.1 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $10
Set For Life (#1748)
#174881.6% payout now- EV / ticket
- $8.16
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.87
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.00
- Top prizes
- 5 of 5
Best payout - 2 $10
Mystery Crossword (#1743)
#174375.6% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.56
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.55
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.01
- Top prizes
- 18 of 25
- 3 $10
California Jackpot
#169574.6% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.46
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.35
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.63
- Top prizes
- 3 of 8
- 4 $10
$50 or $100 (#1738)
#173873.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.34
- Any prize
- 1 in 8.08
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.08
- Top prizes
- 128,628 of 276,255
- 5 $10
$1,000,000 Poker
#172573.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.54
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.49
- Top prizes
- 9 of 18
- 6 $10
Neon Jackpot
#173472.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.29
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.55
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.90
- Top prizes
- 5 of 8
- 7 $10
Polar Payout
#175272.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.28
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.62
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.40
- Top prizes
- 4 of 4
New - 8 $10
$1,000,000 Money Mania
#171372.6% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.26
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.43
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.79
- Top prizes
- 2 of 13
- 9 $10
Mystery Crossword (#1708)
#170871.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $7.13
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.64
- Beats price
- 1 in 9.36
- Top prizes
- 5 of 48
- 10 $10
California Color Pop
#172168.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $6.85
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.76
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.79
- Top prizes
- 1 of 6
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 10 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 | $10 | 81.6% | $8.16 | 1 in 3.87 | 1 in 3.87 | 1 in 5.00 | $6,000,000 | 5 | +0.8 pts |
| 2. Mystery Crossword | $10 | 75.6% | $7.56 | 1 in 3.55 | 1 in 3.55 | 1 in 8.01 | $750,000 | 18 | +0.1 pts |
| 3. California Jackpot | $10 | 74.6% | $7.46 | 1 in 3.35 | 1 in 3.35 | 1 in 4.63 | $1,000,000 | 3 | +0.1 pts |
| 4. $50 or $100 | $10 | 73.4% | $7.34 | 1 in 8.08 | 1 in 8.08 | 1 in 8.08 | $100 | 128,628 | 0.0 pts |
| 5. $1,000,000 Poker | $10 | 73.2% | $7.32 | 1 in 3.54 | 1 in 3.54 | 1 in 4.49 | $1,000,000 | 9 | -0.2 pts |
| 6. Neon Jackpot | $10 | 72.9% | $7.29 | 1 in 3.55 | 1 in 3.55 | 1 in 4.90 | $1,000,000 | 5 | -0.1 pts |
| 7. Polar Payout New | $10 | 72.8% | $7.28 | 1 in 3.62 | 1 in 3.62 | 1 in 6.40 | $1,000,000 | 4 | — |
| 8. $1,000,000 Money Mania | $10 | 72.6% | $7.26 | 1 in 3.43 | 1 in 3.43 | 1 in 4.79 | $1,000,000 | 2 | 0.0 pts |
| 9. Mystery Crossword | $10 | 71.3% | $7.13 | 1 in 3.64 | 1 in 3.64 | 1 in 9.36 | $750,000 | 5 | +1.2 pts |
| 10. California Color Pop | $10 | 68.5% | $6.85 | 1 in 3.76 | 1 in 3.76 | 1 in 4.79 | $1,000,000 | 1 | -0.4 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $10 California scratcher is best right now?
- Set For Life (#1748) at 81.6% current payout, about $8.16 back per ticket, as of October 25, 2026.
- Are $10 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $10 tier averages 73.6% current payout across 10 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 68.1%, $2 games average 66.6%, $3 games average 66.9%, $5 games average 70.1%, $20 games average 77.6%, $30 games average 78.0%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $10 games are on sale in California?
- 10 as of October 25, 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 $10 ticket price.