Best $3 New Jersey Scratch-Offs (October 2026)
As of October 25, 2026, 3 $3 scratch-offs are on sale in New Jersey, averaging 65.5% current payout. The best of them is LOTERIA (#01982) at 68.0% ($2.04 back per ticket, 1 in 3.85 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 New Jersey as of October 25, 2026, $2 games average 66.2%, $5 games average 67.7%, $10 games average 70.2%, $20 games average 72.7%, $30 games average 75.7%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $3 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 3.9 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $3
LOTERIA (#01982)
#0198268.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $2.04
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.85
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.08
- Top prizes
- 1 of 4
Best payout - 2 $3
Crossword (#01980)
#0198064.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.93
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.91
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.52
- Top prizes
- 16 of 20
- 3 $3
Crossword (#01953)
#0195364.1% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.92
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.84
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.75
- Top prizes
- 1 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 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. LOTERIA | $3 | 68.0% | $2.04 | 1 in 3.85 | 1 in 7.03 | 1 in 7.08 | $30,000 | 1 | -0.1 pts |
| 2. Crossword | $3 | 64.4% | $1.93 | 1 in 4.91 | 1 in 7.51 | 1 in 7.52 | $20,000 | 16 | -0.2 pts |
| 3. Crossword | $3 | 64.1%? | $1.92 | 1 in 3.84 | 1 in 6.78 | 1 in 7.75 | $20,000 | 1 | -0.3 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $3 New Jersey scratch-off is best right now?
- LOTERIA (#01982) at 68.0% current payout, about $2.04 back per ticket, as of October 25, 2026.
- Are $3 tickets better value than other prices in New Jersey?
- The $3 tier averages 65.5% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $2 games average 66.2%, $5 games average 67.7%, $10 games average 70.2%, $20 games average 72.7%, $30 games average 75.7%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $3 games are on sale in New Jersey?
- 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 $3 ticket price.