Scratch Cards

A Guide to Playing Scratch Cards Online

What is the most popular form of gambling in the world? You may think it is a casino game like roulette or craps, a card game like blackjack or poker, or the ever-present slot machine. However, all those answers would be wrong. Around the globe, the most popular and universal form of gambling is lotteries. 

Lotteries have an incredibly long history and come in many different forms. One of the most fun and popular forms of lotteries are scratch cards. These are the cards with covered sections that you scratch off with a coin or other hard material to see whether you have won a prize. Scratch cards have always been popular at gasoline stations and grocery stores, but they are now becoming more prevalent at a number of online casinos. 

Online scratch cards are gaining popularity online for the same reason people love them in real life: they are fun, easy to understand and use, and there is that great moment of anticipation and excitement as you start to uncover the game pieces when you think you might have a chance to win the big money! Here is everything you need to know about playing scratch cards online. 

A Brief History of Online Scratch Cards

To understand what scratch cards are and where they come from, you first have to go way back to the advent of lotteries. A lottery is defined as a game where participants buy cards and a certain number of those cards win prizes. The most common form of this – and one that is still very popular today – is where random numbers are drawn and any cards with those numbers win. The first known occurrence of this style of lottery goes back over 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty in China. 

For centuries after, lotteries spread around the world and became well-liked games of chance everywhere and in every time period, from the Roman Empire to the Netherlands and Italy in the 1400s. In England, there were most likely lottery-style games being played before this, but the first officially recorded lottery was created by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566. The numbers for that lottery weren’t drawn until 1569 though. 

The development of scratch cards began in the 1970s in the U.S. when a company called Scientific Games Corporation developed the first-ever computer-generated instant lottery game. Just over a decade later, the first patent was issued in the U.S. to a company called Astro-Med, Inc., for its instant scratch-off lottery tickets.

With the growth of online casinos, many popular gambling games started to move from the physical world to the internet, and scratch cards were no exception. These became so prevalent online that in 2005, the first dedicated online scratch card site was created. Today, Java and Macromedia Flash technologies are used to create fun and engaging scratch card games at many online casinos. 

How Do Online Scratch Cards Work?

The process of playing online scratch cards is quite easy. All you have to do is click on the areas of the card that need to be scratched off and that will reveal the prize, monetary value, number, symbol, or whatever else may be underneath. However, there is a little more to playing online scratch cards than simply “scratching” the card. Here is how online scratch cards work.

Choose an Online Casino

The first thing you need to do is find an online casino that offers scratch cards as one of their games. While this is not that difficult, you will find that few online casinos offer as many scratch card games as some other games. Games like slots or blackjack you will be able to find in most online casinos. There are other games, like Keno or live dealer games, that you will find less often. Scratch cards fall into the latter category. You will not have to search hard to find them, but you may need to search a little harder than for some other games.

You also want to make sure you find a reputable casino where you can play scratch card games. There are a lot of online casinos out there and while many of them are great, unfortunately, there are some that are untrustworthy. The best way to find out about the reputation of an online casino is to read reviews on trusted online casino review sites like Online Casino Gems. 

Find Your Favorite Scratch Card

Once you have found a casino that you like, trust, and that offers scratch card games, it is time to pick the scratch card game that is right for you. Depending on what the casino offers, there can be many different options to choose from. Scratch card games can come in many different themes, denominations, prize levels, and complexity. It may take playing a few different styles to find out what your favorite is.

Themes

There are all different types of themes for scratch card games. Some are very generic and straight forward, just focusing on the prize you can win while playing. Others can pull in other types of games or themes to make the process a little more interesting to some players. For example, Monopoly-themed scratch cards are among the most popular online. 

Denominations and Prizes

Whether you are playing online or off, one of the biggest draws for scratch cards is that they are usually very cheap to play and offer the possibility of having a big win from your small investment. The general rule is that the higher the cost of the card, the bigger the prize (or prizes) will be. Yes, you want as big a prize as possible, but you also want to be able to play as much as you want. Striking this balance between card cost and the potential prize amount is key.

Complexity

There are varying levels of attention, thinking, and processing that go into online scratch card games. Some cards offer a very simple level of gameplay where you scratch the card and it tells you directly whether you have won or lost. Other games offer a little more gameplay and you have to match things, add things, or strategically choose which parts of the card you scratch off. One style is not necessarily better than the other; it all depends on how you like to play.

Practice Play

One more note on something that many online casinos offer -- you may want to look for casinos that have free versions of the game available. This should not be confused with free play where you play for free for real money. This is practice play where you can’t win real money. This is a great option because it enables you to see if you like all the things about the game before you commit to buying cards.

Cashing Out Winnings  

The best part of playing scratch cards is when you get to cash out your winnings and spend the money! The one thing you need to note about this is that there will be different parameters on cashing out at different online casinos. If you have chosen a reputable casino, this should not be that difficult, but there are a few things you want to note about withdrawing money before you start playing scratch cards.

Withdrawal Methods

Most good online casinos offer multiple ways to take your winnings out of your bankroll and put it back in your personal accounts. There are usually options such as taking the money on debit or credit cards, directly to your bank account, in an eWallet, or even in cryptocurrency. Just make sure to note what ways the casino offers specifically for withdrawal. Many times, there are fewer withdrawal options than deposit options, so make sure your preferred method is available.

Minimums and Maximums

Keep an eye out for what the minimum and maximum withdrawals on the site are because most online casinos have both in place. This is important because it may mean if you play an online scratch card and win £5, you may not be able to withdraw it out right away. Also, if you win the jackpot, you may not be able to withdraw it all at once. Most online casinos have weekly or monthly maximum withdrawal limits in place.

Converting Free Play to Cash 

In many online casinos, you will be able to take advantage of offers enabling you to play scratch cards for free. While free play is a great thing, make sure you understand the conditions attached to the deal. If you win on a free play scratch card, your winnings may not convert to real money right away. Many sites have conditions involving playing your winnings multiple times before they turn into withdrawable funds. 

Are There Any Tips for Winning Online Scratch Cards?

When you play a scratch card, the only thing you can do to improve your odds of winning is to cross your fingers, rub your lucky penny, or put on your lucky socks. Scratch cards are a game of chance so, at the moment, there aren’t a lot of tips to make winning more likely. However, there are things you can do leading up to playing the game that will increase your chances of walking away with the money. Here are a few tips for winning online scratch cards.

Pick a Reputable Casino

Playing scratch cards in a fair and trustworthy online casino is the most important tip of all, not only so you can get your money out if you win but for other reasons as well. Scratch cards are based on chance and most online casinos use random number generators (RNGs) to create their scratch cards. These RNGs should be calibrated, regulated, and regularly inspected by a governing body to ensure fairness. Otherwise, you have no chance of winning before you even start playing. 

To ensure fairness, in addition to reading reviews, you can also look at where the online casino is licensed. Certain countries have stricter rules and regulations than others. The stricter the regulations, the more confident you can be that the odds of winning the scratch card game you are playing are as advertised. 

Look Out for Bonuses and Promotions

With the amount of competition in the online casino world, most casinos have to offer special bonuses and promotions in order to entice players. You can find all types of rewards that sites offer for simply signing up, depositing money, referring a friend, or playing certain games at certain times. What you get for each of these will vary by site, and you need to find the styles of bonuses and promotions that best fit how you like to play. This may mean playing the same scratch card games at the same casino all the time or switching it up often.

One word of warning about bonuses and promotions. While almost all online casinos offer them, they are not all created the same. Some will always have bigger rewards in place and some will offer bigger ones periodically. Just be on the lookout for bonuses and promotions that seem “too good to be true.” This could be a sign of an online casino that is trying to reel you in for a scam. 

Reading the Terms and Conditions

Reading the fine print is very important in the world of online scratch card games. As mentioned before, there may be conditions attached to free play you should know about and withdrawal minimums and maximums. Also, you want to know the true odds or return to player (RTP) of a scratch card game. By finding this information in the terms and conditions, you will be able to find scratch cards that give you the best chance of walking away a winner. 

Find the Most Popular Games

If you are new to scratch cards, you can lean on the experience of other scratch card players. Players who have played for longer and won more will gravitate to certain games. If an online casino has a live chat function or tells you how many players are playing a game at a given time, you want to look for the game more people play. This will allow you to find scratch card games that people actually win money on.

Where Can I Play Scratch Cards Online?

There are a lot of online casinos where you can play scratch cards. However, while scratch cards are a very popular game that is growing in popularity all the time, you still cannot find them everywhere. If you are a dedicated scratch card player or someone new to scratch cards who wants to give them a try, here are some of the best online casinos where you can find scratch cards. 

Fortune Jack 

Fortune Jack is an incredible online casino that offers slots, table games, live dealer games, sports betting, and of course, scratch card games. They currently have two different scratch card games, both with free play (not for real money) options so you can test drive the game before you commit to playing for real. 

Bingo Fest

Bingo Fest is a great site for bingo, but this site also offers several different scratch card games with different, fun themes you can play. You can find titles here like Beach Bums, Gunslinger’s Gold, and Penguin Payday. If you like to switch up the scratch card games you play, Bingo Fest will be good for you.

Slot Madness

As the name suggests, Slot Madness specializes in slots but it offers scratch cards as well. The selection of scratch card games is not as large here as some other sites, but they do offer great bonuses. If you want a chance to win big money without a big investment, this could be the online casino for you.

Bovada

Simply one of the best and most well-respected casinos online, Bovada is a great place to play scratch cards. They currently offer eight different games to choose from, all with different themes and styles. If you are looking for the best overall online casino of the bunch, Bovada may be it. 

Ignition Casino

When you visit Ignition Casino, look under the “Specialty Games” section for the scratch card games they offer. Here you will find multiple scratch card games that will provide hours of fun. They also offer a good mobile capability for scratch cards on the go and just a good, well-rounded overall player experience.

Conclusion

If you have ever gone to a store or a stand and picked up a scratch card game, pulled a coin out of your pocket, and scratched it to try and win money, you will love online scratch card games. They are so much fun and, in many ways, even better than the physical game. Not only can you play where and when you want, but there are also free games to play to try out the particular game before you buy. And, it is more eco-friendly to play this way as well as you are not playing on paper that will turn into the trash if you lose. Check out online scratch cards today and get in the game. Good luck!