An example device for binarizing video data includes a memory configured to store video data; and one or more processors implemented in circuitry and configured to: calculate a local sum of absolute values (locSumAbs value) of neighboring coefficients to a current coefficient of a current block of video data; derive a shift value from the locSumAbs value; normalize the locSumAbs value using the shift value; determine a Rice parameter using the normalized locSumAbs value; and binarize or inverse binarize the current coefficient using the Rice parameter. In this manner, these techniques may allow for more appropriate Rice parameter value selection when binarizing high bitdepth data in conjunction with performing context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC).