Best $1 South Dakota Scratch Games (October 2026)
As of October 14, 2026, 4 $1 scratch games are on sale in South Dakota, averaging 67.1% current payout. The best of them is MOOLA at 69.7% ($0.70 back per ticket, 1 in 3.51 for any prize). $1,000 GOLD RUSH tops the list below at 71.5%, but its figures come from prize tiers that disagree about how many of its tickets are left, so we do not lead with it.
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 South Dakota as of October 14, 2026, $2 games average 64.9%, $3 games average 66.6%, $5 games average 67.2%, $10 games average 70.7%, $20 games average 76.5%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $1 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 8.4 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $1
$1,000 GOLD RUSH
#116371.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.71
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.39
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.37
- Top prizes
- 2 of 15
Best payout - 2 $1
MOOLA
#111669.7% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.70
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.51
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.73
- Top prizes
- 13 of 90
- 3 $1
LUCKY 7
#115564.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.64
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.08
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.40
- Top prizes
- 26 of 60
- 4 $1
FROSTY FUN
#120063.1% payout now- EV / ticket
- $0.63
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.67
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.86
- Top prizes
- 8 of 8
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 4 games in a table
| # Game | Price | Payout now | EV / ticket | Any-prize odds | Cash odds | Profit odds | Top prize | Top left | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. $1,000 GOLD RUSH | $1 | 71.5% | $0.71 | 1 in 3.39 | 1 in 3.39 | 1 in 6.37 | $1,000 | 2 | — |
| 2. MOOLA | $1 | 69.7% | $0.70 | 1 in 3.51 | 1 in 3.51 | 1 in 6.73 | $500 | 13 | — |
| 3. LUCKY 7 | $1 | 64.0% | $0.64 | 1 in 4.08 | 1 in 4.08 | 1 in 7.40 | $500 | 26 | — |
| 4. FROSTY FUN | $1 | 63.1% | $0.63 | 1 in 4.67 | 1 in 4.67 | 1 in 7.86 | $1,000 | 8 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $1 South Dakota scratch game is best right now?
- MOOLA (#1116) at 69.7% current payout, about $0.70 back per ticket, as of October 14, 2026.
- Are $1 tickets better value than other prices in South Dakota?
- The $1 tier averages 67.1% current payout across 4 active games. For comparison, $2 games average 64.9%, $3 games average 66.6%, $5 games average 67.2%, $10 games average 70.7%, $20 games average 76.5%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $1 games are on sale in South Dakota?
- 4 as of October 14, 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.