North Carolina · $5 tickets
Best $5 North Carolina Scratch-Off Tickets
There are 19 active $5 scratch-off games in the NC Education Lottery right now. Ranked by expected return — how much, on average, comes back for every $1 spent — the best is $400,000 Jackpot at $0.72 per $1. Updated Aug 2, 2026.
Across the 19 $5 North Carolina games with a calculable return, the strongest pays back $0.72 per $1 and the weakest $0.63 — a 9-cent gap on the dollar, averaging $0.67. The biggest prize still in play at this price is $400,000 on $400,000 Jackpot (2 still unclaimed).
| # | Game | Price | Return / $1 | Top Prize | Est. Tickets Left | Prize Tiers Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $400,000 Jackpot#928 | $5 | $0.72 / $1 | $400,000 | 1,483,871 | 12/12 |
| 2 | Prize Link Connect#37 | $5 | $0.70 / $1 | $200,000 | 4,426,382 | 13/13 |
| 3 | Wheel of Fortune#48 | $5 | $0.70 / $1 | $200,000 | 4,296,109 | 11/11 |
| 4 | 20X The Cash#30 | $5 | $0.69 / $1 | $250,000 | 16,294,785 | 11/11 |
| 5 | SPICY HOT RICHES#991 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $200,000 | 2,559,358 | 12/12 |
| 6 | Diamonds and Dollars#41 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $200,000 | 2,358,617 | 9/9 |
| 7 | Jungle Cashword#42 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $150,000 | 4,220,008 | 14/14 |
| 8 | $5 MONOPOLY®#22 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $200,000 | 2,496,530 | 11/11 |
| 9 | $500 Frenzy#33 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $500 | 5,021,682 | 6/6 |
| 10 | Mega Bucks#45 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $200,000 | 4,694,669 | 11/11 |
| 11 | Holiday Cashword#19 | $5 | $0.68 / $1 | $150,000 | 1,817,789 | 13/13 |
| 12 | 20X The Cash#980 | $5 | $0.67 / $1 | $250,000 | 2,757,352 | 11/11 |
| 13 | High Voltage Cash#13 | $5 | $0.67 / $1 | $200,000 | 1,799,759 | 11/11 |
| 14 | Cash King#26 | $5 | $0.67 / $1 | $200,000 | 1,413,320 | 11/11 |
| 15 | $200,000 Triple Play#995 | $5 | $0.66 / $1 | $200,000 | 1,964,704 | 12/12 |
| 16 | Peppermint Payout#18 | $5 | $0.65 / $1 | $150,000 | 740,055 | 11/12 |
| 17 | MEGA BUCKS#947 | $5 | $0.65 / $1 | $200,000 | 1,140,458 | 10/10 |
| 18 | Double Your Money#10 | $5 | $0.63 / $1 | $200,000 | 768,668 | 8/10 |
| 19 | Xtreme Cashword#949 | $5 | $0.63 / $1 | $150,000 | 1,205,389 | 13/13 |
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.