Bits & Odds

JAWS — $5 California Scratcher #1724

Data captured September 9, 2026 · launched April 20, 2026

JAWS (#1724) is a $5 California scratcher launched on April 20, 2026. As of September 9, 2026 it ranks #31 of 54 active games on current payout (72.0%, $3.60 expected back per ticket) and #4 of 11 $5 games, #34 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.76) and #20 on top-prize odds (1 in 998,129). Since launch the payout has risen 1.2 points (70.8% at launch) and the any-prize odds have worsened 1.2% (1 in 3.72 at launch). 12 of 20 top prizes of $500,000 remain, and we estimate 11,977,553 tickets are still unsold (51.0% sold). That is below average for California; the California ranking lists show better payouts, including at $5.

Current payout
72.0%
70.8% at launch
Expected value
$3.60
per $5 ticket
Any-prize odds
1 in 3.76
1 in 3.72 at launch
Cash odds
1 in 5.29
excludes free tickets
Profit odds
1 in 5.30
win more than $5
$600+ odds
1 in 51,627
claim-at-lottery prizes
Top prizes left
12 of 20
$500,000 each
Tickets remaining
49.0%
≈ 11,977,553 tickets

Prizes remaining

Every prize level in JAWS, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. Across all tiers, 3,187,303 of 6,298,544 prizes (50.6%) are still out there.

PrizeOdds at launchOdds now TotalClaimedRemaining% left
$500,000 1 in 1,200,000 1 in 998,129 20 8 12 60.0%
$10,000 1 in 600,000 1 in 665,420 40 22 18 45.0%
$1,000 1 in 59,259 1 in 59,295 405 203 202 49.9%
$500 1 in 3,980 1 in 4,099 6,030 3,108 2,922 48.5%
$100 1 in 398.0 1 in 412.9 60,256 31,251 29,005 48.1%
$50 1 in 249.0 1 in 255.8 96,213 49,387 46,826 48.7%
$30 1 in 123.0 1 in 124.7 195,339 99,289 96,050 49.2%
$20 1 in 40.0 1 in 40.3 600,000 303,048 296,952 49.5%
$15 1 in 33.0 1 in 33.7 719,518 363,851 355,667 49.4%
$10 1 in 18.0 1 in 18.1 1,320,723 660,688 660,035 50.0%
$6 1 in 16.0 1 in 15.5 1,500,000 725,919 774,081 51.6%
Ticketfree ticket 1 in 13.0 1 in 12.9 1,800,000 874,467 925,533 51.4%
All prizes1 in 3.721 in 3.76 6,298,5443,111,241 3,187,30350.6%

How JAWS has moved

70% 72% 74% Sep 2026Sep 2026Sep 2026
Current payout (solid) and any-prize odds (dashed, inverted so up is better) since we began tracking JAWS. 3 daily readings.

Recent claims of $1,000 and up

Derived from day-to-day changes in the official remaining-prize counts, so the date is when the lottery published the change.

JAWS: common questions

How many $500,000 prizes are left in JAWS?
12 of 20 as of September 9, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 998,129.
What are the odds of winning anything on JAWS?
1 in 3.76 today, compared with 1 in 3.72 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 5.29, and the odds of winning more than the $5 ticket price are 1 in 5.30.
Is JAWS worth buying?
Its current payout is 72.0% ($3.60 back per $5 ticket), rank #31 of 54 in California. The best $5 alternative today is LOTERIA™ Extra! (#1688, $5) at 75.0%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
How many JAWS tickets are left?
We estimate 11,977,553 of roughly 23,400,000 printed tickets are unsold (51.0% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
When did JAWS launch and is it still on sale?
It launched on April 20, 2026. It is still on sale.

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