Best $30 California Scratchers (October 2026)
As of October 25, 2026, 3 $30 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 78.0% current payout. The best of them is Crossword Xtreme (#1726) at 79.8% ($23.95 back per ticket, 1 in 2.65 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%, $10 games average 73.6%, $20 games average 77.6%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $30 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 3.6 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $30
Crossword Xtreme (#1726)
#172679.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $23.95
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.65
- Beats price
- 1 in 3.64
- Top prizes
- 1 of 4
Best payout - 2 $30
200X (#1740)
#174077.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $23.34
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.85
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.21
- Top prizes
- 4 of 5
- 3 $30
7's
#169276.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $22.88
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.71
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.96
- Top prizes
- 1 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 | 79.8% | $23.95 | 1 in 2.65 | 1 in 2.65 | 1 in 3.64 | $7,000,000 | 1 | -0.1 pts |
| 2. 200X | $30 | 77.8% | $23.34 | 1 in 2.85 | 1 in 2.85 | 1 in 5.21 | $10,000,000 | 4 | -0.1 pts |
| 3. 7's | $30 | 76.3% | $22.88 | 1 in 2.71 | 1 in 2.71 | 1 in 4.96 | $10,000,000 | 1 | -3.3 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $30 California scratcher is best right now?
- Crossword Xtreme (#1726) at 79.8% current payout, about $23.95 back per ticket, as of October 25, 2026.
- Are $30 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $30 tier averages 78.0% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 68.1%, $2 games average 66.6%, $3 games average 66.9%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 73.6%, $20 games average 77.6%. 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 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 $30 ticket price.