Best $1 North Carolina Scratch-Offs (September 2026)
As of September 9, 2026, 3 $1 scratch-offs are on sale in North Carolina, averaging 61.2% current payout. The best of them is 5X The Cash at 61.8% ($0.62 back per ticket, 1 in 4.68 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 North Carolina today, $2 games average 66.2%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 76.0%, $20 games average 75.0%, $30 games average 78.1%. That is an average, not a rule: within this $1 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 1.0 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $1
5X The Cash
#2861.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.62
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.68
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.77
- Top prizes
- 9 of 16
Best payout New - 2 $1
Lucky 7s
#4060.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.61
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.76
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.87
- Top prizes
- 7 of 8
New - 3 $1
Hit $50!
#5160.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.61
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.84
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.02
- Top prizes
- 4 of 5
New
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. 5X The Cash New | $1 | 61.8% | $0.62 | 1 in 4.68 | 1 in 4.68 | 1 in 7.77 | $10,000 | 9 | — |
| 2. Lucky 7s New | $1 | 60.9% | $0.61 | 1 in 4.76 | 1 in 4.76 | 1 in 7.87 | $7,000 | 7 | — |
| 3. Hit $50! New | $1 | 60.8% | $0.61 | 1 in 4.84 | 1 in 4.84 | 1 in 8.02 | $5,000 | 4 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $1 North Carolina scratch-off is best right now?
- 5X The Cash (#28) at 61.8% current payout, about $0.62 back per ticket, as of September 9, 2026.
- Are $1 tickets better value than other prices in North Carolina?
- The $1 tier averages 61.2% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $2 games average 66.2%, $5 games average 70.1%, $10 games average 76.0%, $20 games average 75.0%, $30 games average 78.1%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $1 games are on sale in North Carolina?
- 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 $1 ticket price.