Scratch off cards, scratch cards, scratch off tickets or even just scratch offs as they are sometimes known, have been around for many years. This article looks at a variety of exciting items that you may have not known about these little instant gratification cards.
About scratch off cards
Scratch off cards were first seen in 1974, as an invention of the Scientific Games Corporation. They were first sold in Massachusetts and from there grew into the multi-billion-dollar industry which thrives to this day. In the early days, these cards were being stored away behind the checkout counters in shops. Knowing customers would request their cards when checking out. It wasn’t until 1985 when the clear plastic scratch-off card dispenser was then placed at every till in each outlet. This “Take-a-Ticket” invention by Cal Tigner was a game changer for these cards. Scratch off tickets became the new face of instant gambling. We do still see the dispensers at checkout counters or appointed kiosks in-store. We are also lucky enough to have access to scratch cards online; which offer maximum convenience in a tech-driven world.
See more on the History of Scratch Cards here.
Custom scratch off tickets
Custom scratch off tickets have opened up a whole new world for the simple scratch off ticket. The possibilities and uses for custom scratch off tickets are bound only by one’s imagination. They are currently used in a wide variety of industries from banking to party planning and everything in between. With its roots in the gaming and lottery industries the likes of which have seen so many technological advancements, custom scratch off tickets are readily available online too.
Best scratch cards to win on
With the plethora of scratch cards available both online and in-store how does one find the best scratch cards to win on? The answer is a lot simpler than you would imagine.
The best ones to win on are the ones with better odds.
All scratch cards must provide an estimation of the odds of winning. The more expensive the card the more likely the odds will be better or the prizes will be grander.
Anyway odds such as this appear on the cards “1 IN 4.64”, “1 IN 3.45”, “1 IN 4.23”… etc.
In the examples above the 1 in 3.45 odds card has the best chance of winning.
Lottery scratch cards
Scratchable lottery cards are readily available in stores and kiosks or online. Lottery companies advertise and fund these cards as they provide instant wins. Whereas traditional lottery tickets have draws on allocated days. Many people find lottery scratch cards a far more satisfying play at the lottery than the regular lottery tickets. But whether playing on a whim or regularly there is no doubt that there are some big jackpots available with lottery scratch cards.
Have a look at some of our scratch card winner stories.
Football scratch cards
Football raffle cards are mostly used for fundraising. They are cheap to purchase which makes them an ideal tool to raise funds with a 50% split of the full earning potential going to the winner (correct team chosen) and the remaining 50% going towards the cause.
What are football scratch cards?
- Football scratch cards are usually A4 sheets with two sections.
The first section is for:
- the scratch off block keeping the winning team a secret,
- the name of the charity the funds are being raised for,
- the stake (how much a ticket/block costs) and
- the prize (how much one can win should your block hold the winning team’s name).
The second section contains:
- either 30, 40, 50 or 80 blocks each with a different football clubs’ name.
How do football they work?
The charity will determine the cost at which they will sell tickets/ blocks to players. Once they have sold all the tickets/ blocks, the scratch off block is then scratched to reveal the winning team.
The player who purchased the ticket/block with the matching team wins the prize and the balance of the funds raised goes to the charity.
Custom scratch cards
Custom scratch cards are definitely a rapidly growing industry, whether receiving secret information, partaking in a lottery, or sweepstakes or similar type of competition. With the Alpha-bet platform and their clever use of letters instead of numbers it certainly takes custom scratch cards to the next level. The versatility of their customisation is boundless. It can be used for corporate incentives, marketing and product promotions, education tools, invitations, scavenger hunts or even gender reveals. Pretty much anything you can think of can become a reality with Alpha-bet custom cards or tickets.
Scratch cards online
The phenomenally fast growth and development of the online gaming and gambling landscape mean that scratch offs are available on every major online casino across the world. These games are often found alongside popular games such Slots, Roulette and Poker.
Playing scratch cards online offer a host of benefits such as: lower cost, more excitement, bigger variety, and of course accessibility. For the most part, online versions are virtual replicas of the original physical tickets.
There are more advanced card options available, some even boast bonus blocks for additional wins or prizes. The versions available online are eye-catching and have many different themes to attract a wider variety of players.
Some online versions are even available for free so that the player can get a feel for how they work. These free or demo cards usually entice players to try the real thing.
How to play scratch cards
Regardless of whether you are playing physical scratchable cards or the virtual/ online version, the cards are easy to use and offer an instant win. Precisely the opposite of most other games of luck such as the lottery or sweepstakes. The instant gratification aspect is appealing to beginners and pro-gamblers alike.
How to play scratch cards may differ slightly from card to card, in the physical instance, but the rules and regulations are most often on the back. For the virtual versions, there is usually a “how to” or rules section that will explain clearly how the game operates.
Available at most lottery kiosks or outlets, a physical scratch ticket will have several blocks with a scratchable coating. A player scratches off the coating to reveal symbols, numbers, amounts, or letters (see our Alpha-bet scratch cards). Most games offer a win when 3 blocks scratched off are matching. However, some games have a design that offers bonus blocks or prizes.
The virtual versions are available at most of the online casinos, such as letterscratch.xyz.
Whichever term you use for the instant gratification games, we hope that you have found our article interesting and useful. Should you wish for more information regarding the potential idea for a scratch card or ticket, feel free to get in touch.