JAWS
Image Credit: California Lottery
55
VALUESCORE
Fair
JAWS is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the California Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.81, meaning roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize. 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. Most prizes are still available (61% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 55/100 (Fair) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.81
Exp. Value
$0.71
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$500,000
Top Prizes Left
13
Prizes Remaining
61%
ValueScore™
55 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.71→
AVERAGE
Middle-of-the-pack value for a ticket at this price point.
Why
→Wins are infrequent: about a 26% chance to win something per ticket (1 in 3.81), lower than most games.
- At $0.71 back per $1, the return here is middle-of-the-road for this price point.
- Prize quality is high: most of the meaningful top and mid-tier prizes remain in play.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$500,000
13 of 20 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 1.1M
$10,000
24 of 40 left
launch odds 1 in 600K
now ~1 in 613K
$1,000
256 of 405 left
launch odds 1 in 59K
now ~1 in 57K
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 | 13 | 65% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 600,000 | 40 | 24 | 60% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 59,259 | 405 | 256 | 63% |
| $500 | 1 in 3,980 | 6,030 | 3,606 | 60% |
| $100 | 1 in 398 | 60,256 | 35,750 | 59% |
| $50 | 1 in 249 | 96,213 | 57,480 | 60% |
| $30 | 1 in 123 | 195,339 | 117,391 | 60% |
| $20 | 1 in 40 | 600,000 | 362,292 | 60% |
| $15 | 1 in 33 | 719,518 | 434,755 | 60% |
| $10 | 1 in 18 | 1,320,723 | 803,122 | 61% |
| $6 | 1 in 16 | 1,500,000 | 932,496 | 62% |
| $5 | 1 in 13 | 1,800,000 | 1,115,848 | 62% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$84,516,420
Current Prize Pool
$51,742,331
Payout Percentage
61.2%
Total Prizes Remaining
3,863,033
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
23,997,453
Estimated Remaining
14,718,156
% Remaining
61.3%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed and remaining are estimated from overall odds and the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
55
VALUESCORE
Fair
55
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 7/19/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1724
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 4/20/2026
- Payout %
- 70.8%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 7/19/2026
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 55/100. 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, 13 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, 61% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 3,863,033 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 55 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 3 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.