Best $2 California Scratchers (October 2026)
As of October 25, 2026, 7 $2 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 66.6% current payout. The best of them is Set for Life (#1736) at 70.5% ($1.41 back per ticket, 1 in 4.32 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%, $3 games average 66.9%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 73.6%, $20 games average 77.6%, $30 games average 78.0%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $2 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 5.1 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $2
Set for Life (#1736)
#173670.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.41
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.32
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.96
- Top prizes
- 1 of 2
Best payout - 2 $2
Dominoes (#1723)
#172366.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.33
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.02
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.88
- Top prizes
- 10 of 16
- 3 $2
Boo Bucks
#174566.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.33
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.02
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.87
- Top prizes
- 7 of 10
- 4 $2
MONOPOLY (#1665)
#166566.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.02
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.89
- Top prizes
- 15 of 28
- 5 $2
Planetary Payout
#174165.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.05
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.89
- Top prizes
- 15 of 20
- 6 $2
Ca$h Doubler
#173265.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.31
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.15
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.39
- Top prizes
- 8 of 15
- 7 $2
GOOOAAAL!
#172865.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.31
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.04
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.91
- Top prizes
- 11 of 20
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 | 70.5% | $1.41 | 1 in 4.32 | 1 in 4.32 | 1 in 7.96 | $1,200,000 | 1 | +0.3 pts |
| 2. Dominoes | $2 | 66.5% | $1.33 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 6.88 | $30,000 | 10 | 0.0 pts |
| 3. Boo Bucks | $2 | 66.3% | $1.33 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 6.87 | $30,000 | 7 | -0.1 pts |
| 4. MONOPOLY | $2 | 66.2% | $1.32 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 4.02 | 1 in 6.89 | $30,000 | 15 | 0.0 pts |
| 5. Planetary Payout | $2 | 65.9% | $1.32 | 1 in 4.05 | 1 in 4.05 | 1 in 6.89 | $20,000 | 15 | +0.2 pts |
| 6. Ca$h Doubler | $2 | 65.4% | $1.31 | 1 in 4.15 | 1 in 4.15 | 1 in 7.39 | $20,000 | 8 | -0.2 pts |
| 7. GOOOAAAL! | $2 | 65.4% | $1.31 | 1 in 4.04 | 1 in 4.04 | 1 in 6.91 | $20,000 | 11 | -0.1 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $2 California scratcher is best right now?
- Set for Life (#1736) at 70.5% current payout, about $1.41 back per ticket, as of October 25, 2026.
- Are $2 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $2 tier averages 66.6% current payout across 7 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 68.1%, $3 games average 66.9%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 73.6%, $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 $2 games are on sale in California?
- 7 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 $2 ticket price.