Iowa · $3 tickets
Best $3 Iowa Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 11 active $3 scratch-off games in the Iowa Lottery right now. Ranked by expected return — how much, on average, comes back for every $1 spent — the best is Retro Bolts at $0.65 per $1. Updated Aug 2, 2026.
Across the 11 $3 Iowa games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.65 per $1 and the weakest $0.55 — a 10-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.61. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $30,000 on Retro Bolts (5 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retro Bolts#750 | $3 | $0.65 / $1 | $30,000 | 446,587 | 10/10 |
| 2 | $30,000 Crossword#615 | $3 | $0.63 / $1 | $30,000 | 5,860,701 | 8/8 |
| 3 | UNO™#773 | $3 | $0.63 / $1 | $30,000 | 1,142,425 | 9/9 |
| 4 | Words That Win#717 | $3 | $0.62 / $1 | $30,000 | 325,601 | 11/11 |
| 5 | Pirate's Treasure#784 | $3 | $0.62 / $1 | $30,000 | 907,533 | 10/10 |
| 6 | Full of 300s#757 | $3 | $0.62 / $1 | $300 | 292,539 | 9/9 |
| 7 | Bullseye Cash#745 | $3 | $0.61 / $1 | $30,000 | 449,309 | 12/12 |
| 8 | Word Games#739 | $3 | $0.60 / $1 | $30,000 | 449,368 | 12/12 |
| 9 | Red Hot 7s#754 | $3 | $0.60 / $1 | $30,000 | 157,914 | 11/11 |
| 10 | Lucky Stars#729 | $3 | $0.60 / $1 | $30,000 | 343,763 | 9/9 |
| 11 | Unlock It#793 | $3 | $0.55 / $1 | $3,000 | 1,928,383 | 10/10 |
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.