California Dreamin'
Image Credit: California Lottery
40
VALUESCORE
Fair
A $5 scratch-off from the California Lottery, California Dreamin' is on sale now. The published overall odds are 1 in 3.75. Every $1 spent returns about $0.71 on average, an average showing by scratch-off standards. The top prize is $555,555. 21% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so most prizes have already been claimed. It scores 40/100 (Fair) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore. That makes it #34 of the 52 active games we track in California, and 5th out of 11 $5 tickets in California.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.75
Exp. Value
$0.71
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$555,555
Top Prizes Left
5
Prizes Remaining
21%
ValueScore™
40 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.71↓
BELOW AVERAGE
It is 5th of the 11 active $5 games in California, so most $5 alternatives will serve you better.
Why
↓Late in this game's life: the remaining prize pool is small.
- Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- About a 27% chance of a prize on each ticket (1 in 3.75), in line with most games.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$555,555
5 of 12 left
launch odds 1 in 1.5M
now ~1 in 774K
$5,000
6 of 30 left
launch odds 1 in 607K
now ~1 in 645K
$1,000
62 of 302 left
launch odds 1 in 60K
now ~1 in 62K
ScratchCheck estimate. Current odds are derived from the prizes still unclaimed and our estimate of tickets remaining, shown next to the lottery’s printed launch odds. Actual odds vary as tickets are sold and prizes claimed.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $555,555 | 1 in 1,518,273 | 12 | 5 | 42% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 607,309 | 30 | 6 | 20% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 60,329 | 302 | 62 | 21% |
| $500 | 1 in 3,978 | 4,580 | 898 | 20% |
| $100 | 1 in 342 | 53,223 | 10,648 | 20% |
| $50 | 1 in 199 | 91,545 | 18,433 | 20% |
| $25 | 1 in 92 | 197,221 | 40,384 | 20% |
| $20 | 1 in 40 | 455,482 | 92,139 | 20% |
| $15 | 1 in 33 | 546,211 | 111,937 | 20% |
| $10 | 1 in 18 | 1,002,199 | 212,465 | 21% |
| $5 | 1 in 13 | 1,366,446 | 299,397 | 22% |
| $5 | 1 in 16 | 1,139,530 | 245,313 | 22% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$64,093,410
Current Prize Pool
$14,684,860
Payout Percentage
22.9%
Total Prizes Remaining
1,031,687
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
18,212,929
Estimated Remaining
3,868,826
% Remaining
21.2%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed is estimated from overall odds. Tickets remaining is estimated from the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
40
VALUESCORE
Fair
40
out of 100
Expected Value
19/40
Prize Quality
8/25
Win Frequency
8/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1680
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 6/23/2025
- Payout %
- 70.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: California Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.75 overall odds
✓ Accounts for prizes already claimed
Entertainment only. Outcomes are random and won't match a real session. Current-odds mode scales each tier by remaining prizes and tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the California Dreamin' scratch-off a good buy?
California Dreamin' is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 40/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in California. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the California rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does California Dreamin' cost?
California Dreamin' costs $5 per ticket in California. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $5 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the California Dreamin' scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with California Dreamin' are 1 in 3.75. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for California Dreamin'?
The top prize for California Dreamin' is $555,555. As of our latest update, 5 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for California Dreamin'?
California Dreamin' offers 11 distinct prize levels: $555,555 (12 total), $5,000 (30 total), $1,000 (302 total), $500 (4,580 total), $100 (53,223 total), $50 (91,545 total), $25 (197,221 total), $20 (455,482 total), $15 (546,211 total), $10 (1,002,199 total), and $5 (2,505,976 total). The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in California Dreamin'?
Based on our latest data, 21% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 1,031,687 out of 4,856,781 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is California Dreamin' rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates California Dreamin' at 40 out of 100 using ValueScore™, a composite rating built from four factors: Expected Value, Prize Quality, Win Frequency, and Inventory Health. Scores of 80 or above are Excellent, 60 to 79 Good, 40 to 59 Fair, 20 to 39 Below Average, and below 20 is Poor. The score updates automatically as prizes are claimed and data refreshes.
When was California Dreamin' released?
California Dreamin' was released by the California Lottery on June 23, 2025. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is California Dreamin' data updated on ScratchCheck?
California Dreamin' data comes directly from the official California Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.