The California Lottery may offer some of the biggest draw games in the U.S., but there are far more scratchers to play in the Golden State and the odds of winning are usually far superior. These instant games sometimes give you the chance to win millions of dollars, and many Californians have taken advantage of the opportunity to pick up great prizes.
Use this page to find out about some of the latest scratch wins, as well as some of the biggest in CA Lottery history.
The California Lottery issues media releases every month with details of some huge wins. The table below shows some of the most recent scratcher prizes to have been paid out.
| Winner Name | Location | Scratch-Off Game | Prize Amount | Win Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Ortiz | Gardena | Red Carpet Riches | $2,000,000 | 08/05/2026 |
| Keith Evans | Oakland | Red Carpet Riches | $2,000,000 | 08/05/2026 |
| Adam Lavelle | Norwalk | Red Carpet Riches | $2,000,000 | 08/05/2026 |
| Laura Martinez | Lompoc | Crossword Xtreme | $7,000,000 | 07/10/2026 |
| Mireya Herrera | San Francisco | Crossword Xtreme | $7,000,000 | 07/10/2026 |
California scratchers are among the most lucrative for players in the U.S., with multimillion-dollar payouts on offer across several games. Here are some of the top prizes that have ever been won.
$20 Million – Set For Life Millionaire Edition – Chad Fry (Auburn)
Auburn’s Chad Fry became the first Californian to win a $20 million scratcher prize when he stopped off to pick up ‘some beer and a lottery ticket’ on the way home from buying a new pair of shorts. He scratched it before he drove away and uncovered the word ‘LIFE’, sparking excited celebrations in the parking lot. Fry could have chosen 25 annual payments of $800,000 (before taxes), but instead he opted for the lump sum of $11.6 million.
$15 Million – Royal Jackpot Scratchers – Fernando Ayala (Cloverdale)
Fernando Ayala, who had immigrated to California from Mexico almost 40 years earlier, felt that his perseverance in life had paid off when he won $15 million on a Royal Jackpot Scratchers ticket. He had bought a ticket from Quik Stop, located at 601 N. Cloverdale Blvd. in Cloverdale, and won $40, so he went back to the store the next day and used that money to play again. This time he landed an eight-figure sum which many would have found life-changing, although he insisted he would ‘still go to work, still help people and still his life the same way’.
$5 Million – Neon Cash Party – Daniel Peramaki (Anaheim)
A man who dubbed himself ‘King of the Scratchers’ proved to be true to the title as he uncovered a $5 million prize on the Neon Cash Party game. He bought his ticket at Star Liquor on South State College Boulevard in Anaheim, and used the method that had brough him success in the past. “I’m very superstitious,” he said. “If I scratch them right away, it’s a loser. I usually buy them, put them in my pocket, and wait. I didn’t scratch this one until midnight.”