Best $3 South Dakota Scratch Games (October 2026)
As of October 14, 2026, 3 $3 scratch games are on sale in South Dakota, averaging 66.6% current payout. The best of them is MONEY CASHWORD at 68.5% ($2.05 back per ticket, 1 in 3.87 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 South Dakota as of October 14, 2026, $1 games average 67.1%, $2 games average 64.9%, $5 games average 67.2%, $10 games average 70.7%, $20 games average 76.5%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $3 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 4.2 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $3
MONEY CASHWORD
#115068.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $2.05
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.87
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.46
- Top prizes
- 1 of 4
Best payout - 2 $3
VAULTS of CASH
#115767.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $2.01
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.03
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.13
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
- 3 $3
MONEY BOX BINGO
#119364.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.93
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.32
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.89
- Top prizes
- 3 of 4
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. MONEY CASHWORD | $3 | 68.5% | $2.05 | 1 in 3.87 | 1 in 3.87 | 1 in 7.46 | $25,000 | 1 | — |
| 2. VAULTS of CASH | $3 | 67.0% | $2.01 | 1 in 4.03 | 1 in 4.03 | 1 in 7.13 | $25,000 | 1 | — |
| 3. MONEY BOX BINGO | $3 | 64.3% | $1.93 | 1 in 4.32 | 1 in 4.32 | 1 in 7.89 | $20,000 | 3 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $3 South Dakota scratch game is best right now?
- MONEY CASHWORD (#1150) at 68.5% current payout, about $2.05 back per ticket, as of October 14, 2026.
- Are $3 tickets better value than other prices in South Dakota?
- The $3 tier averages 66.6% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 67.1%, $2 games average 64.9%, $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 $3 games are on sale in South Dakota?
- 3 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 $3 ticket price.