Best $30 California Scratchers (September 2026)
As of September 9, 2026, 3 $30 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 79.1% current payout. The best of them is Crossword Xtreme at 80.3% ($24.10 back per ticket, 1 in 2.68 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 67.4%, $2 games average 67.1%, $3 games average 67.2%, $5 games average 70.0%, $10 games average 72.8%, $20 games average 77.7%. That is an average, not a rule: within this $30 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 2.8 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $30
Crossword Xtreme
#172680.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $24.10
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.68
- Beats price
- 1 in 3.68
- Top prizes
- 2 of 4
Best payout - 2 $30
7's
#169279.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $23.79
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.83
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.18
- Top prizes
- 2 of 5
- 3 $30
200X
#174077.6% payout now- EV / ticket
- $23.27
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.79
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.10
- Top prizes
- 4 of 5
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 3 games in a table
| # Game | Price | Payout now | EV / ticket | Any-prize odds | Cash odds | Profit odds | Top prize | Top left | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Crossword Xtreme | $30 | 80.3% | $24.10 | 1 in 2.68 | 1 in 3.67 | 1 in 3.68 | $7,000,000 | 2 | — |
| 2. 7's | $30 | 79.3% | $23.79 | 1 in 2.83 | 1 in 2.83 | 1 in 5.18 | $10,000,000 | 2 | -0.0 pts |
| 3. 200X | $30 | 77.6% | $23.27 | 1 in 2.79 | 1 in 2.79 | 1 in 5.10 | $10,000,000 | 4 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $30 California scratcher is best right now?
- Crossword Xtreme (#1726) at 80.3% current payout, about $24.10 back per ticket, as of September 9, 2026.
- Are $30 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $30 tier averages 79.1% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 67.4%, $2 games average 67.1%, $3 games average 67.2%, $5 games average 70.0%, $10 games average 72.8%, $20 games average 77.7%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $30 games are on sale in California?
- 3 as of September 9, 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 $30 ticket price.