JAWS
Image Credit: California Lottery
52
VALUESCORE
Fair
JAWS is one of the California Lottery's $5 scratch-off games. Published overall odds: 1 in 3.81. The expected value is $0.71 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $500,000. Prize inventory sits at 52%: about half the prizes remain. On ScratchCheck's 0-100 ValueScore it earns a 52 (Fair). Today it stands at 25th out of 52 California scratch-offs; among $5 tickets it is 3rd among the 11 $5 games California sells.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.81
Exp. Value
$0.71
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$500,000
Top Prizes Left
12
Prizes Remaining
52%
ValueScore™
52 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.71→
AVERAGE
Nothing wrong with it, but nothing special either; it is 3rd of the 11 active $5 games in California.
Why
→Wins are infrequent: about a 26% chance to win something per ticket (1 in 3.81), lower than most games.
- Expected value of $0.71 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
- Middling prize quality: a fair number of the bigger prizes are still in play.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$500,000
12 of 20 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 1.0M
$10,000
18 of 40 left
launch odds 1 in 600K
now ~1 in 688K
$1,000
207 of 405 left
launch odds 1 in 59K
now ~1 in 60K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | 1 in 1,200,000 | 20 | 12 | 60% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 600,000 | 40 | 18 | 45% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 59,259 | 405 | 207 | 51% |
| $500 | 1 in 3,980 | 6,030 | 2,984 | 49% |
| $100 | 1 in 398 | 60,256 | 29,618 | 49% |
| $50 | 1 in 249 | 96,213 | 47,819 | 50% |
| $30 | 1 in 123 | 195,339 | 98,067 | 50% |
| $20 | 1 in 40 | 600,000 | 303,291 | 51% |
| $15 | 1 in 33 | 719,518 | 363,235 | 50% |
| $10 | 1 in 18 | 1,320,723 | 673,650 | 51% |
| $6 | 1 in 16 | 1,500,000 | 789,152 | 53% |
| $5 | 1 in 13 | 1,800,000 | 943,711 | 52% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$84,516,420
Current Prize Pool
$43,878,072
Payout Percentage
51.9%
Total Prizes Remaining
3,251,764
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
23,997,453
Estimated Remaining
12,389,221
% Remaining
51.6%
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
52
VALUESCORE
Fair
52
out of 100
Expected Value
20/40
Prize Quality
13/25
Win Frequency
7/20
Inventory Health
12/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1724
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 4/20/2026
- Payout %
- 70.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
Compare this game with another →Official Source
View on California Lottery ↗Simulate This Game
Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: California Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.81 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 JAWS scratch-off a good buy?
JAWS is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 52/100. 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 JAWS cost?
JAWS 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 JAWS scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with JAWS are 1 in 3.81. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for JAWS?
The top prize for JAWS is $500,000. As of our latest update, 12 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for JAWS?
JAWS offers 12 distinct prize levels: $500,000 (20 total), $10,000 (40 total), $1,000 (405 total), $500 (6,030 total), $100 (60,256 total), $50 (96,213 total), $30 (195,339 total), $20 (600,000 total), $15 (719,518 total), $10 (1,320,723 total), $6 (1,500,000 total), and $5 (1,800,000 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 JAWS?
Based on our latest data, 52% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 3,251,764 out of 6,298,544 total). Roughly half the prizes remain, which is typical for an active game.
How is JAWS rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates JAWS at 52 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 JAWS released?
JAWS was released by the California Lottery on April 20, 2026. It has been on sale for about 5 months.
How often is JAWS data updated on ScratchCheck?
JAWS 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.