Bits & Odds

Best $5 North Carolina Scratch-Offs (September 2026)

Data captured September 9, 2026 · 14 active $5 games

As of September 9, 2026, 14 $5 scratch-offs are on sale in North Carolina, averaging 70.1% current payout. The best of them is Double Your Money at 81.1% ($4.05 back per ticket, 1 in 3.85 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, $1 games average 61.2%, $2 games average 66.2%, $10 games average 76.0%, $20 games average 75.0%, $30 games average 78.1%. That is an average, not a rule: within this $5 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 15.5 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.

  1. Double Your Money

    #10
    81.1% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $4.05
    Any prize
    1 in 3.85
    Beats price
    1 in 3.85
    Top prizes
    0 of 5
    Best payout No top prize left
  2. LOTERIA® Fiesta

    #2
    74.0% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.70
    Any prize
    1 in 3.39
    Beats price
    1 in 5.93
    Top prizes
    1 of 6
  3. Mega Bucks

    #45
    70.8% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.54
    Any prize
    1 in 4.26
    Beats price
    1 in 6.90
    Top prizes
    2 of 5
    New
  4. $5 MONOPOLY®

    #22
    70.5% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.53
    Any prize
    1 in 4.13
    Beats price
    1 in 6.68
    Top prizes
    2 of 5
    New
  5. Jungle Cashword

    #42
    70.0% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.50
    Any prize
    1 in 3.64
    Beats price
    1 in 5.95
    Top prizes
    2 of 5
    New
  6. CASH

    #53
    69.9% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.49
    Any prize
    1 in 4.16
    Beats price
    1 in 6.24
    Top prizes
    2 of 3
    New
  7. Loteria Grande

    #52
    69.2% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.46
    Any prize
    1 in 3.86
    Beats price
    1 in 6.31
    Top prizes
    5 of 5
    New
  8. $500 Frenzy

    #33
    69.1% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.45
    Any prize
    1 in 4.27
    Beats price
    1 in 6.83
    Top prizes
    6,729 of 16,465
    New
  9. 20X The Cash

    #30
    68.9% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.45
    Any prize
    1 in 4.37
    Beats price
    1 in 7.25
    Top prizes
    12 of 15
    New
  10. $200,000 Taxes Paid

    #56
    68.8% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.44
    Any prize
    1 in 4.32
    Beats price
    1 in 6.90
    Top prizes
    3 of 3
    New
  11. Prize Link Connect

    #37
    68.8% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.44
    Any prize
    1 in 4.30
    Beats price
    1 in 6.71
    Top prizes
    3 of 4
    New
  12. Wheel of Fortune

    #48
    67.6% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.38
    Any prize
    1 in 4.43
    Beats price
    1 in 7.48
    Top prizes
    4 of 5
    New
  13. Diamonds and Dollars

    #41
    67.4% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.37
    Any prize
    1 in 4.44
    Beats price
    1 in 6.98
    Top prizes
    2 of 4
    New
  14. Cash King

    #26
    65.6% payout now
    EV / ticket
    $3.28
    Any prize
    1 in 4.40
    Beats price
    1 in 7.52
    Top prizes
    1 of 4
    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 14 games in a table
$5 North Carolina Scratch-Offs
# Game Price Payout now EV / ticket Any-prize odds Cash odds Profit odds Top prize Top left 7-day
1. Double Your Money #10 $5 81.1% $4.05 1 in 3.85 1 in 3.85 1 in 3.85 $200,000 0 +13.0 pts
2. LOTERIA® Fiesta #2 $5 74.0% $3.70 1 in 3.39 1 in 3.39 1 in 5.93 $150,000 1 +4.3 pts
3. Mega Bucks #45 New $5 70.8% $3.54 1 in 4.26 1 in 4.26 1 in 6.90 $200,000 2
4. $5 MONOPOLY® #22 New $5 70.5% $3.53 1 in 4.13 1 in 4.13 1 in 6.68 $200,000 2
5. Jungle Cashword #42 New $5 70.0% $3.50 1 in 3.64 1 in 3.64 1 in 5.95 $150,000 2
6. CASH #53 New $5 69.9% $3.49 1 in 4.16 1 in 4.16 1 in 6.24 $200,000 2
7. Loteria Grande #52 New $5 69.2% $3.46 1 in 3.86 1 in 3.86 1 in 6.31 $150,000 5
8. $500 Frenzy #33 New $5 69.1% $3.45 1 in 4.27 1 in 4.27 1 in 6.83 $500 6,729
9. 20X The Cash #30 New $5 68.9% $3.45 1 in 4.37 1 in 4.37 1 in 7.25 $250,000 12
10. $200,000 Taxes Paid #56 New $5 68.8% $3.44 1 in 4.32 1 in 4.32 1 in 6.90 $277,740 3
11. Prize Link Connect #37 New $5 68.8% $3.44 1 in 4.30 1 in 4.30 1 in 6.71 $200,000 3
12. Wheel of Fortune #48 New $5 67.6% $3.38 1 in 4.43 1 in 4.43 1 in 7.48 $200,000 4
13. Diamonds and Dollars #41 New $5 67.4% $3.37 1 in 4.44 1 in 4.44 1 in 6.98 $200,000 2
14. Cash King #26 New $5 65.6% $3.28 1 in 4.40 1 in 4.40 1 in 7.52 $200,000 1

Frequently asked questions

Which $5 North Carolina scratch-off is best right now?
Double Your Money (#10) at 81.1% current payout, about $4.05 back per ticket, as of September 9, 2026.
Are $5 tickets better value than other prices in North Carolina?
The $5 tier averages 70.1% current payout across 14 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 61.2%, $2 games average 66.2%, $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 $5 games are on sale in North Carolina?
14 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.

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