California Scratcher FAQ
What is the best scratch-off ticket to buy in California right now?
Based on today's data, 7'S ($30) currently has the best return on investment in California at -12% ROI, calculated from the prizes actually remaining. Rankings change as prizes are claimed, so check the daily-updated list above.
How are these California scratcher rankings calculated?
We pull remaining-prize data from the official California Lottery every day, estimate how many tickets are left, and compute each game's expected value: the total value of unclaimed prizes divided by the estimated remaining tickets, minus the ticket price. Games where more prize money remains than ticket sales predict rank higher.
Why do the odds change after a scratcher launches?
The odds printed on the ticket only describe the game at launch. As winning tickets are claimed, the real odds shift — a game that has sold most of its tickets but still has jackpots left offers better odds than its printed numbers, and a game whose top prizes are gone offers worse.
How often is this California data updated?
Every morning. We scrape the official California Lottery site daily and recalculate odds, ROI, and remaining prizes for every active scratch-off game.