How Scratch Cards Work: Online Games and the Largest Jackpots
The most popular type of gambling in the world today is scratch cards because they cost little, the result is immediate, and they can be found everywhere. Scratch cards are foiled-covered cards that you scratch to find out whether you have won a prize.
Scratch cards can be found in nearly all shops and supermarkets — even at post offices in certain nations. And now, you can even play online scratch cards from home!
Depending on where you are, they might be called some other name: scratch-offs, scratch tickets, scratchers, instant win cards, etc. In this article, we'll explain to you all about this fun and fast game.
How Do Scratch Cards Work?
As we already sort of stated, scratch cards are paper tickets with a thin layer of foil over figures or symbols that create prizes. The idea is the same as with similar symbols on slot machines — obtain a certain amount of symbols in accordance with the card rules and you win a prize. Because of this simplicity, scratch cards have also proliferated online.
Astro-Med, Inc. patented scratch cards legally. The patent agency did note, however, that "instant game tickets comprising a card containing game markings printed within a window, and an opaque layer coveringly removable over the window," had been around for many years ago — so the lineage of scratch-off cards is longer still.
The initial ones had very basic rules, usually three identical symbols to win a prize. Scratch-off cards have evolved since then and usually have more than one way to win using them. Rules may vary, but the concept remains the same: reveal the correct number of identical symbols in order to win.
Game rules and prizes are usually shown on the back of the card or on the side of the online game. With online scratch cards, your winnings are deposited into your account straight away. Higher value scratch cards may have a number of mini-games on each card with several chances to win.
How Often Can You Win with Scratch Cards
When you are considering your odds of winning on a scratch card, there are two areas of significance that you must look into: how often you win a prize, and what your RTP (Return to Player) is.
The first one is easy — how often you get an award. Most of the scratch-offs pay around a 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 top prize. There are some better, like 1 in 2, and some worse than 1 in 5. Keep in mind that these are any type of win, which may be winning back your money or even less than the card price.
Next, let’s talk about RTP.
The mean RTP of scratch cards is approximately 92%. They can range from 80% to 95%. This will not guarantee a win on a high-RTP card — it will simply increase your chances over the long term.
Consider an example:
- Scratch Card A – RTP: 85%
- Scratch Card B – RTP: 95%
If you were to buy $100 of every card, you would naturally expect $85 on Card A and $95 on Card B. But luck has a lot to do with it. You can win $97 on Card A or only $80 on Card B. There are no guarantees.
"Long run" for gambling can be a very, very long period of time. Even with high-RTP scratch cards, you will see cold runs. But high-RTP cards will always give you the best hope to reduce loss in the long run.
The Largest Scratch Card Jackpots
Scratch cards have gained a strong footing within the casino scene, both online and land based. The thrill of "instant wins" has them come back again and again — sometimes several times a day if they keep making small wins. It makes scratch cards more reward-growth oriented than traditional lotteries like Lotto, where you have to wait for the lottery draw.
The only area scratch cards have never been able to compete with lotteries is in jackpot size. Lottery jackpots have hit hundreds of millions, while scratch card jackpots have topping out at a paltry £/$100,000 — a big win, certainly, but hardly comparable to what lotteries have on offer.
Final Thoughts
Scratchcards offer convenient, inexpensive game-playing excitement with instant thrills. With the haptic difficulty of rubbing off the foil and the chance to win real cash, they're a fun way to pass a few minutes — and maybe win a jackpot for life. Now that you can buy them online in addition to from stores, you can play whenever you feel like it. Just remember: they remain a gamble, no matter what whatever the RTP or prize table is.