Best $5 South Dakota Scratch Games (October 2026)
As of October 14, 2026, 12 $5 scratch games are on sale in South Dakota, averaging 67.2% current payout. The best of them is $500 FRENZY at 71.5% ($3.57 back per ticket, 1 in 4.13 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%, $3 games average 66.6%, $10 games average 70.7%, $20 games average 76.5%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $5 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 14.6 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $5
$500 FRENZY
#119571.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.57
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.13
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.46
- Top prizes
- 2 of 3
Best payout - 2 $5
SEASON'S GREETINGS
#120269.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.50
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.11
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.98
- Top prizes
- 3 of 3
- 3 $5
ONE-WORD CROSSWORD
#115269.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.49
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.70
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.67
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
- 4 $5
20X EXTREME CASH!
#117569.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.49
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.99
- Beats price
- 1 in 6.90
- Top prizes
- 1 of 2
- 5 $5
MAX MONEY
#116168.8% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.44
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.26
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.90
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
- 6 $5
MONEY FEVER
#115868.3% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.42
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.23
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.69
- Top prizes
- 1 of 2
- 7 $5
SOUTH DAKOTA HIDDEN GEMS
#115968.0% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.40
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.13
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.10
- Top prizes
- 2 of 3
- 8 $5
$25,000 GOLD RUSH
#116567.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.39
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.03
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.35
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
- 9 $5
MONEY MADNESS
#116767.5% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.37
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.30
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.50
- Top prizes
- 2 of 3
- 10 $5
EXTREME 8'S
#118165.4% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.27
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.44
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.75
- Top prizes
- 4 of 4
- 11 $5
MERRY BRIGHT
#117263.1% payout now- EV / ticket
- $3.15
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.05
- Beats price
- 1 in 8.14
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
- 12 $5
EXTREME GREEN
#113656.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $2.84
- Any prize
- 1 in 5.08
- Beats price
- 1 in 10.6
- Top prizes
- 1 of 3
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 12 games in a table
| # Game | Price | Payout now | EV / ticket | Any-prize odds | Cash odds | Profit odds | Top prize | Top left | 7-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. $500 FRENZY | $5 | 71.5% | $3.57 | 1 in 4.13 | 1 in 4.13 | 1 in 7.46 | $25,000 | 2 | — |
| 2. SEASON'S GREETINGS | $5 | 69.9% | $3.50 | 1 in 4.11 | 1 in 4.11 | 1 in 6.98 | $10,000 | 3 | — |
| 3. ONE-WORD CROSSWORD | $5 | 69.9% | $3.49 | 1 in 3.70 | 1 in 3.70 | 1 in 6.67 | $40,000 | 1 | — |
| 4. 20X EXTREME CASH! | $5 | 69.8% | $3.49 | 1 in 3.99 | 1 in 3.99 | 1 in 6.90 | $40,000 | 1 | — |
| 5. MAX MONEY | $5 | 68.8% | $3.44 | 1 in 4.26 | 1 in 4.26 | 1 in 7.90 | $25,000 | 1 | — |
| 6. MONEY FEVER | $5 | 68.3% | $3.42 | 1 in 4.23 | 1 in 4.23 | 1 in 7.69 | $40,000 | 1 | — |
| 7. SOUTH DAKOTA HIDDEN GEMS | $5 | 68.0% | $3.40 | 1 in 4.13 | 1 in 4.13 | 1 in 7.10 | $25,000 | 2 | — |
| 8. $25,000 GOLD RUSH | $5 | 67.9% | $3.39 | 1 in 4.03 | 1 in 4.03 | 1 in 7.35 | $25,000 | 1 | — |
| 9. MONEY MADNESS | $5 | 67.5% | $3.37 | 1 in 4.30 | 1 in 4.30 | 1 in 7.50 | $25,000 | 2 | — |
| 10. EXTREME 8'S | $5 | 65.4% | $3.27 | 1 in 4.44 | 1 in 4.44 | 1 in 7.75 | $8,888 | 4 | — |
| 11. MERRY BRIGHT | $5 | 63.1% | $3.15 | 1 in 4.05 | 1 in 4.05 | 1 in 8.14 | $10,000 | 1 | — |
| 12. EXTREME GREEN | $5 | 56.9% | $2.84 | 1 in 5.08 | 1 in 5.08 | 1 in 10.6 | $25,000 | 1 | — |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $5 South Dakota scratch game is best right now?
- $500 FRENZY (#1195) at 71.5% current payout, about $3.57 back per ticket, as of October 14, 2026.
- Are $5 tickets better value than other prices in South Dakota?
- The $5 tier averages 67.2% current payout across 12 active games. For comparison, $1 games average 67.1%, $2 games average 64.9%, $3 games average 66.6%, $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 $5 games are on sale in South Dakota?
- 12 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 $5 ticket price.