California · $3 tickets
Best $3 California Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 8 active $3 scratch-off games in the California Lottery right now. Ranked by expected return — how much, on average, comes back for every $1 spent — the best is LOTERIA™ at $0.66 per $1. Updated Aug 2, 2026.
Across the 8 $3 California games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.66 per $1 and the weakest $0.58 — a 7-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.62. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $40,000 on California Crossword (3 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOTERIA™#1729 | $3 | $0.66 / $1 | $30,000 | 17,590,051 | 11/11 |
| 2 | Tripling Bonus Crossword#1720 | $3 | $0.65 / $1 | $20,000 | 14,556,351 | 16/16 |
| 3 | Fireball Bingo#1711 | $3 | $0.64 / $1 | $20,000 | 17,712,754 | 16/16 |
| 4 | Cozy Crossword#1702 | $3 | $0.62 / $1 | $20,000 | 3,926,979 | 9/9 |
| 5 | California Crossword#1676 | $3 | $0.61 / $1 | $40,000 | 2,784,482 | 9/9 |
| 6 | 15X#1684 | $3 | $0.61 / $1 | $30,000 | 3,391,442 | 11/11 |
| 7 | LOTERIA™#1666 | $3 | $0.60 / $1 | $30,000 | 5,779,179 | 11/11 |
| 8 | Bingo Extra#1657 | $3 | $0.58 / $1 | $20,000 | 3,783,897 | 16/16 |
Even the best $3 ticket almost always returns less than $1 per $1 played. These rankings tell you which games are less bad, not which are profitable. Play for fun, not for income.