California · $5 tickets
Best $5 California Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 19 active $5 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 California Dreamin' at $0.76 per $1. Updated Aug 2, 2026.
Across the 19 $5 California games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.76 per $1 and the weakest $0.55 — a 21-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.66. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $555,555 on California Dreamin' (5 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Dreamin'#1680 | $5 | $0.76 / $1 | $555,555 | 3,898,601 | 12/12 |
| 2 | The Big Spin#1623 | $5 | $0.71 / $1 | $500,000 | 13,409,249 | 12/12 |
| 3 | LOTERIA™ Extra!#1737 | $5 | $0.71 / $1 | $100,000 | 24,368,955 | 17/17 |
| 4 | JAWS#1724 | $5 | $0.70 / $1 | $500,000 | 13,887,881 | 12/12 |
| 5 | Tic Tac Toe Bonus#1658 | $5 | $0.70 / $1 | $250,000 | 9,527,734 | 12/12 |
| 6 | Red, White & Blue 7's#1730 | $5 | $0.69 / $1 | $250,000 | 10,842,536 | 10/10 |
| 7 | Cash Crush#1712 | $5 | $0.69 / $1 | $250,000 | 5,878,450 | 11/11 |
| 8 | MEGA Crossword#1717 | $5 | $0.69 / $1 | $75,000 | 25,198,382 | 12/12 |
| 9 | Poker Nights#1694 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $75,000 | 12,171,743 | 11/11 |
| 10 | MONOPOLY#1667 | $5 | $0.67 / $1 | $100,000 | 4,780,337 | 11/11 |
| 11 | Winner Winner Chicken Dinner#1632 | $5 | $0.65 / $1 | $250,000 | 5,346,321 | 11/11 |
| 12 | LOTERIA™ Extra!#1688 | $5 | $0.64 / $1 | $100,000 | 5,531,588 | 17/17 |
| 13 | Happy Holidays#1698 | $5 | $0.64 / $1 | $250,000 | 2,254,759 | 12/12 |
| 14 | SuperLotto Plus® Multiplier#1733 | $5 | $0.63 / $1 | $500,000 | 12,345,768 | 12/12 |
| 15 | Full of 500's#1703 | $5 | $0.63 / $1 | $500 | 1,771,336 | 8/8 |
| 16 | Feeling Lucky#1685 | $5 | $0.62 / $1 | $250,000 | 3,200,417 | 10/11 |
| 17 | LOTERIA™ Extra!#1653 | $5 | $0.62 / $1 | $100,000 | 1,992,002 | 17/17 |
| 18 | Hot Spot Multiplier#1663 | $5 | $0.59 / $1 | $500,000 | 6,144,532 | 12/12 |
| 19 | MEGA Crossword#1628 | $5 | $0.55 / $1 | $75,000 | 2,993,241 | 11/12 |
Even the best $5 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.