Online scratch cards, or scratch games, are one of the simpler types of gambling games you’ll find at online casinos. They’re popular with players because they’re straightforward, quick to play and can offer some decent payouts.
However, they’re not the most popular type of casino game. In fact, lots of online casinos don’t even have any of them. The casinos that do offer scratch cards should have them listed in their own category. Usually a scratch card collection will have several or a few dozen games available to play.
While most online casinos are all about the slots, scratch cards shouldn’t get overlooked. They’re strongly recommended if you’re after a quick and easy game.
Online Scratch Card Games
Online scratch card games are based on physical scratch cards. These are cards used for competitions and lotteries. They’re so called because they have several sections coated in a special silvery substance that can be scratched away (by a coin, for example) to reveal a selection of symbols. If you match enough symbols, you’ll win a prize.
Online scratch cards, of course, are entirely digital, so there’s no actual scratching involved. Instead, once you’ve purchased your card, you can either have the computer reveal the symbols, or you can digitally “scratch” away the covering yourself to reveal the symbols and see whether you’ve won or not. If you’re having the computer do the work for you, then you’ll be able to choose between having the symbols revealed one at a time, or all at once.
For most scratch cards, both physical and digital ones, you have a total of nine symbols to uncover. Match three of any symbol and you’ll receive that symbol’s corresponding prize. Some cards will have cash prizes instead of symbols; match three and you’ll win that payout. That’s the gist of how scratch cards work.
Before you get started, you’ll have to enter your stake. The more you bet, the higher the value of the cash prizes will be. It goes without saying that the bigger your bet, the more money you end up risking.
Most online casinos offer you the chance to play scratch cards for free as well as for real money. If you play in demo mode, the game will run normally, except it will be virtual money that’s used and not actual money. You can’t win or lose any money while playing in demo mode and your casino balance will therefore not be affected at all.
Different Types
You’ll find that most online scratch cards work in pretty much the same way. They don’t all look the same though, as they come in a broad range of themes, just like online slots. To give you some examples, popular scratch cards include the Cupid-themed Mega Love, the underwater-based Ocean Fortune, the comic book-style Cops and Robbers, and Atari Asteroids, which is themed after the classic arcade game of the same name.
Have a look through any collection of online scratch cards and you’ll see the games come in all sorts of creative and imaginative themes.
Scratch cards can also vary in how they’re played. As mentioned above, most of them have nine symbols to be revealed. Some may have more or fewer than nine symbols or cash prizes to reveal. Even so, the way you win is usually the same. To make things more interesting, you’ll even come across some scratch cards that have bonus mini-games or even multipliers to boost the value of your winnings, should you be lucky enough to win.
Odds of Winning
When it comes to playing online scratch cards, the odds of winning depend on the game you’re playing. Generally speaking, online scratch cards have quite good chances of winning. For some, the chances of winning are said to be as low as one in three. You’re much more likely to win a smaller cash prizes than you are a larger one, of course.
Scratch cards offer higher chances of winning than lotteries, though lotteries have much bigger prizes up for grabs. A common practice is to buy a load of tickets in bulk. You should have more chances of winning if you do this, however you’ll be spending more money as well.
If you fancy a higher chance of scooping a win, you’ll have to think about whether you’re prepared to risk your money — after all, winning is never guaranteed.
What to Look For
Online scratch cards are very quick and easy to play, plus they’re entirely luck-based. Whether you win or lose isn’t down to skill or strategy; it’s down to luck and nothing else. If you’re after a gambling game that’s as easy as anything and takes very little time to play, check out online scratch cards.
They’re available at a wide range of online casinos and can be played both for free and for real money. Should you gamble for real money, you may win some decent payouts on the scratch cards if you have some luck on your side.
When looking to play scratch cards online, you should be on the lookout for a casino that has a good line-up of them for you to play. Ideally, there should be at least a dozen or so scratch cards and they should come in lots of different themes.
Also, you should double-check to make sure the casino is licensed and can be trusted. See what other games the casino has and check out what bonuses there are. You’ll find that some casinos are a lot more generous than others when it comes to special offers.
There are plenty of top online casinos with scratch cards. Compare them and sign up for the one that appeals to you the most. Play online scratch cards and let’s hope you match enough symbols to win a cash prize!