Best $5 California Scratchers (September 2026)
As of September 9, 2026, 11 $5 scratchers are on sale in California, averaging 70.0% current payout. The best of them is LOTERIA™ Extra! at 75.0% ($3.75 back per ticket, 1 in 2.97 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%, $10 games average 72.8%, $20 games average 77.7%, $30 games average 79.1%. That is an average, not a rule: within this $5 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 12.8 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $5
LOTERIA™ Extra!
#168875.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.75
- Any prize
- 1 in 2.97
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.84
- Top prizes
- 3 of 19
Best payout - 2 $5
California Dreamin'
#168072.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.63
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.93
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.32
- Top prizes
- 5 of 12
- 3 $5
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
#163272.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.61
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.32
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.90
- Top prizes
- 2 of 15
- 4 $5
JAWS
#172472.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.60
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.76
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.30
- Top prizes
- 12 of 20
- 5 $5
Poker Nights
#169471.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.59
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.38
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.06
- Top prizes
- 4 of 40
- 6 $5
LOTERIA™ Extra!
#173771.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.56
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.49
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.39
- Top prizes
- 11 of 13
- 7 $5
Full of 500's
#174270.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.52
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.40
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.09
- Top prizes
- 22,918 of 26,250
New - 8 $5
MEGA Crossword
#171768.7% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.43
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.80
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.78
- Top prizes
- 17 of 35
- 9 $5
Cash Crush
#171268.1% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.40
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.57
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.57
- Top prizes
- 7 of 14
- 10 $5
Red, White & Blue 7's
#173066.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.32
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.82
- Beats price
- 1 in 4.82
- Top prizes
- 6 of 18
- 11 $5
SuperLotto Plus® Multiplier
#173362.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.11
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.80
- Beats price
- 1 in 5.32
- Top prizes
- 8 of 13
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 11 games in a table
| # Game | Price | Payout now | EV / ticket | Any-prize odds | Cash odds | Profit odds | Top prize | Top left | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. LOTERIA™ Extra! | $5 | 75.0% | $3.75 | 1 in 2.97 | 1 in 4.75 | 1 in 4.84 | $100,000 | 3 | +4.1 pts |
| 2. California Dreamin' | $5 | 72.5% | $3.63 | 1 in 3.93 | 1 in 5.55 | 1 in 8.32 | $555,555 | 5 | +3.3 pts |
| 3. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner | $5 | 72.2% | $3.61 | 1 in 4.32 | 1 in 6.81 | 1 in 6.90 | $250,000 | 2 | +0.5 pts |
| 4. JAWS | $5 | 72.0% | $3.60 | 1 in 3.76 | 1 in 5.29 | 1 in 5.30 | $500,000 | 12 | — |
| 5. Poker Nights | $5 | 71.8% | $3.59 | 1 in 3.38 | 1 in 5.02 | 1 in 5.06 | $75,000 | 4 | +2.0 pts |
| 6. LOTERIA™ Extra! | $5 | 71.2% | $3.56 | 1 in 3.49 | 1 in 5.39 | 1 in 5.39 | $100,000 | 11 | — |
| 7. Full of 500's New | $5 | 70.5% | $3.52 | 1 in 4.40 | 1 in 6.08 | 1 in 6.09 | $500 | 22,918 | — |
| 8. MEGA Crossword | $5 | 68.7% | $3.43 | 1 in 3.80 | 1 in 5.79 | 1 in 5.78 | $75,000 | 17 | — |
| 9. Cash Crush | $5 | 68.1% | $3.40 | 1 in 4.57 | 1 in 4.57 | 1 in 4.57 | $250,000 | 7 | — |
| 10. Red, White & Blue 7's | $5 | 66.3% | $3.32 | 1 in 4.82 | 1 in 4.82 | 1 in 4.82 | $250,000 | 6 | — |
| 11. SuperLotto Plus® Multiplier | $5 | 62.2% | $3.11 | 1 in 3.80 | 1 in 3.80 | 1 in 5.32 | $500,000 | 8 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $5 California scratcher is best right now?
- LOTERIA™ Extra! (#1688) at 75.0% current payout, about $3.75 back per ticket, as of September 9, 2026.
- Are $5 tickets better value than other prices in California?
- The $5 tier averages 70.0% current payout across 11 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 67.4%, $2 games average 67.1%, $3 games average 67.2%, $10 games average 72.8%, $20 games average 77.7%, $30 games average 79.1%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $5 games are on sale in California?
- 11 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 $5 ticket price.