Best $3 Texas Scratch-Offs (October 2026)
As of October 25, 2026, 3 $3 scratch-offs are on sale in Texas, averaging 65.3% current payout. The best of them is Cashword at 66.7% ($2.00 back per ticket, 1 in 3.97 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 Texas as of October 25, 2026, $2 games average 65.5%, $5 games average 64.3%, $10 games average 68.4%, $20 games average 72.4%, $50 games average 74.3%, $100 games average 78.3%. That is a tendency, not a rule: within this $3 tier the spread between the best and worst game is 3.5 payout points, which is why the table matters more than the tier.
- 1 $3
Cashword
#266266.7% payout now- EV / ticket
- $2.00
- Any prize
- 1 in 3.97
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.32
- Top prizes
- 7 of 13
Best payout - 2 $3
Texas Loteria (#2628)
#262865.9% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.98
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.19
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.47
- Top prizes
- 3 of 14
- 3 $3
30X The Cash Word Search
#271163.2% payout now- EV / ticket
- $1.90
- Any prize
- 1 in 4.45
- Beats price
- 1 in 7.98
- Top prizes
- 4 of 6
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. Cashword | $3 | 66.7% | $2.00 | 1 in 3.97 | 1 in 3.97 | 1 in 7.32 | $50,000 | 7 | -0.2 pts |
| 2. Texas Loteria | $3 | 65.9% | $1.98 | 1 in 4.19 | 1 in 4.19 | 1 in 7.47 | $50,000 | 3 | -0.1 pts |
| 3. 30X The Cash Word Search | $3 | 63.2% | $1.90 | 1 in 4.45 | 1 in 4.45 | 1 in 7.98 | $60,000 | 4 | 0.0 pts |
Frequently asked questions
- Which $3 Texas scratch-off is best right now?
- Cashword (#2662) at 66.7% current payout, about $2.00 back per ticket, as of October 25, 2026.
- Are $3 tickets better value than other prices in Texas?
- The $3 tier averages 65.3% current payout across 3 active games. For comparison, $2 games average 65.5%, $5 games average 64.3%, $10 games average 68.4%, $20 games average 72.4%, $50 games average 74.3%, $100 games average 78.3%. Higher-priced tickets usually return more per dollar but you win less often per ticket.
- How many $3 games are on sale in Texas?
- 3 as of October 25, 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.