Which scratch-offs are worth it in October 2026
Every morning we pull the official prize files from California, Texas, and New York, run the same math on every game, and call it straight — worth a look, or skip it.
Never play money you're not willing to lose. This is gambling, even when it's fun.
Worth a look in California
-
84¢ back per $1 beats every other $30 game.
- $10M top prize
- 84¢ back per $1
- 2 of 5 top prizes left
- 70% of tickets sold
-
4 of 4 top prizes left, right where the sales pace says they should be.
- $5M top prize
- 80¢ back per $1
- 4 of 4 top prizes left
- 25% of tickets sold
-
81¢ back per $1 beats every other $20 game.
- $5M top prize
- 81¢ back per $1
- 2 of 6 top prizes left
- 77% of tickets sold
-
At $30, 200X is holding its own with 81¢ back per $1.
- $10M top prize
- 81¢ back per $1
- 4 of 5 top prizes left
- 27% of tickets sold
-
A solid pick — paying out about as expected, with 77¢ back per $1.
- prizes up to $200
- 77¢ back per $1
- 61,421 of 424,075 $200 prizes left
- 86% of tickets sold
- 309 $200 prizes claimed this week
Skip these
- Poker Nights ($5): Big prizes are going faster than sales say they should: 3 left where ~6 would be normal. Take a pass.
- 15X ($3): Picked over — the big prizes are disappearing ahead of sales. Take a pass.
Worth a look in Texas
-
A solid pick — paying out about as expected, with 82¢ back per $1.
- $3M top prize
- 82¢ back per $1
- 2 of 4 top prizes left
- 77% of tickets sold
-
Today's best of the $50 tier: 82¢ back per $1.
- $5M top prize
- 82¢ back per $1
- 2 of 4 top prizes left
- 69% of tickets sold
-
Nothing flashy, nothing wrong: 53% sold and paying out on schedule.
- $1M top prize
- 80¢ back per $1
- 7 of 10 top prizes left
- 53% of tickets sold
-
Only 7% sold so far, and 4 of 4 top prizes left. Barely scratched.
- $10M top prize
- 80¢ back per $1
- 4 of 4 top prizes left
- 7% of tickets sold
-
81¢ back per $1 beats every other $100 game.
- $5M top prize
- 81¢ back per $1
- 3 of 4 top prizes left
- 37% of tickets sold
Skip these
- Mega Loteria ($10): Big prizes are going faster than sales say they should: 1 left where ~2 would be normal. Take a pass.
- Monaco Cash ($5): Big prizes are going faster than sales say they should: 1 left where ~2 would be normal. Take a pass. (game #2736)
- Sugar Skull Cash ($5): Big prizes are going faster than sales say they should: 1 left where ~3 would be normal. Take a pass.
- Loteria Azul ($5): Every last one of its 5 top prizes is claimed — pass.
Worth a look in New York
-
94¢ back per $1 beats every other $30 game.
- $10M top prize
- 94¢ back per $1
- 1 of 5 top prizes left
- 95% of tickets sold
-
Today's best of the $5 tier: $1.09 back per $1.
- $1M top prize
- $1.09 back per $1
- 2 of 4 top prizes left
- 93% of tickets sold
- top prize paid out over years, not cash up front
- luck read withheld — data anomaly
-
Running lucky: 2 of 6 top prizes left at 94% sold, more than the sales pace predicts.
- $5.2M top prize
- 85¢ back per $1
- 2 of 6 top prizes left
- 94% of tickets sold
- top prize paid out over years, not cash up front
-
Today's best of the $20 tier: 80¢ back per $1.
- $5M top prize
- 80¢ back per $1
- 1 of 4 top prizes left
- 92% of tickets sold
-
Running lucky: 1 of 3 top prizes left at 94% sold, more than the sales pace predicts.
- $500K top prize
- 78¢ back per $1
- 1 of 3 top prizes left
- 94% of tickets sold
Skip these
- WINNING STREAK 25X ($5): All 4 top prizes are gone. Don't buy this one.
- $10,000,000 DELUXE ($30): All 5 top prizes are gone. Don't buy this one.
- CASHWORD DOUBLER ($2): All 30 top prizes are gone. Don't buy this one.
- XTREME WINNINGS ($5): Every last one of its 4 top prizes is claimed — pass.
- $2,000,000 CASHWORD ($20): Every last one of its 4 top prizes is claimed — pass. (game #1609)
- DOUBLE WIN ($5): Every last one of its 3 top prizes is claimed — pass.
Info only
The lottery doesn't publish enough about these for us to estimate anything, so they're listed here without made-up numbers.
- SET FOR LIFE ($0): top prize of $5.2M · official game page
- FESTIVE $5,000 ($0): top prize of $5K · official game page
- FESTIVE $500 ($0): prizes up to $500 · official game page
- FESTIVE $100 ($0): prizes up to $100 · official game page
- $1,000,000 BONUS CASHWORD ($0): top prize of $1M · official game page
- $10,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE ($0): top prize of $10.4M · official game page