Best Online Scratch Cards
Using online scratch cards is the perfect way to capture the excitement of physical scratch cards without the need to leave your home to get them, and without all the metallic mess!
Most casino sites offer players the opportunity to try instant win scratch cards online. We've taken a closer look at a huge selection of sites to find free bonuses, online scratch card offerings, and odds of winning.
Best Casino Games to Win Real Money in the USA
Before choosing any game, all players should be aware of Return to Player (RTP) figures. RTP is the average percentage players have received back over time. For example, a game with a 98% RTP will pay out $0.98 for every $1 wagered.
With the tabs below, you can find some of your favorite games with the best RTP percentages, their volatility, and minimum/maximum bets to help you decide which game is best for you.
Slots
Blackjack
Roulette
Live Dealer
Crash Games
Card Games
Baccarat
Arcade
Bingo
Casual Games
Craps
Dice Games
Fish Shooting
Game Shows
Instant Games
Instant Tap
Keno
Other
Scratch Cards
Slingo
Table Games
Video Poker
Virtual Sports
Amatic Industries
Barcrest Games
Spinmatic
SmartSoft Gaming
Picking Games With High RTP Increases Your Chances Of Winning
Huge jackpots and potential payouts attract many people to play online casino games for real money. However, when choosing an online casino game, check the RTP percentages before depositing cash.
The RTP percentage varies between online casinos, casino games, and game themes, particularly with online slots. If your chosen game offers poor odds or requires a hefty minimum bet per round that significantly reduces your gameplay, find a real money casino game that better suits your requirements.
Top Games to Play in Sweeps casinos
How to Play Scratch Card Games Online
Perhaps the most obvious point to make is that when playing scratch cards for real money online casinos, there's no physical scratching involved. So put that coin down and step away from the screen!
In lieu of scratching off panels, scratch card players must click panels or buttons to reveal whether they've won any money. To speed up the process, most instant win scratch cards online have a button marked 'Reveal All' or 'Scratch All'. This will uncover all the relevant information at once.
The process is usually much quicker than scratching off and checking lots of panels on a physical scratch card. For that reason, it's common for many players to work their way through multiple real money online scratch cards in a single session.
Players should check the variance of a specific online scratch card before making any purchases. If a scratch card has low variance, it pays out often, but the sums are usually small. On the other hand, the jackpot of a high variance scratch card game will typically be much more impressive.
As a result, the main question all scratch card players should ask themselves is this: would you rather experience regular smaller wins or risk disappointment to chase a much larger sum of money?
Winning real money with online scratch cards is entirely down to chance. The only real 'strategy' scratch card players can make in this online casino game is to decide whether they play with low variance/low jackpot scratch cards or high variance/big jackpot scratch cards.
Best Scratch Card Games
People who have never tried real money or free online scratch cards are often surprised by the sheer variety offered within the genre. There are hundreds of different titles, themes and types of scratch card games out there. Most however, fall into one of the following categories:
Instant Win Scratch Cards Online
Like the name suggests, these games involve clicking a panel to see whether or not a player has won. There are no second chances or retries; it all comes down to that one result. These scratch cards are the least complicated type of online gambling on the market today.
Multiple Chances
Again, its name makes this scratch card game easy to understand. The game offers players multiple chances to win. In most instances, that means a winning symbol being displayed and various opportunities for players to try to match it with their own.
Lines
This type of game is best compared with online slots, in that you need to match multiple symbols (e.g., in a row or column) in order to trigger a payout. It's very common to see 'near misses' (e.g., three matching symbols followed by a different one) in these games to build suspense.
Jackpot Value
Every slot player dreams of hitting a jackpot. We find out the maximum value you can expect to win from a slot game, and how to win it. We want to give our readers the best potential chance of landing a big win, visit our how to win at slots page to find out more.
How to Play Scratch Card Games Online
Perhaps the most obvious point to make is that when playing scratch cards for real money online casinos, there's no physical scratching involved. So put that coin down and step away from the screen!
Let's be clear about the following: there's nothing players can do to improve the odds of a certain scratch card. What they can do, however, is search for games that match their desired level of risk.
In the chart above, a $4 ticket has the same odds of winning any prize and the same odds of winning the top prize that a $6 ticket does. The difference lies in the value of the top prize – $50,000 vs. $300,000. The question is, would you rather have three $4 tickets or two $6 tickets?
In general, a player's odds of winning any prize increase substantially when they spend more on an individual scratch card. Therefore, players might prefer to save up their cash and spend it on a $15 or $20 ticket with odds of 1 in 3 or 1 in 2 respectively.
Real Money Scratch Cards
For most real money scratch card players, the biggest draw is the array of large jackpots available. In many cases, like £100,000 Cash or Instant Millionaire, a game's potential winnings are highlighted in the name. Some casinos will offer these as no deposit scratch cards online to encourage new players to sign up.
That doesn't mean, however, that players should discount games with smaller jackpots. 33 Chances is an example of such a game, with a comparatively low jackpot of £20,000. But with one card costing just £2 – and featuring a huge 33 chances to win cash – it offers a great way for players to get more opportunities to win for their money.
Other games, such as Fruity Flurry, Full Bloom and 777, contain clues in their name as to what you can expect from their themes. Picking online scratch cards based on similarities with slots that you're a fan of is as good a way as any to narrow down which games to try next.
If you're not sure where to start, we've listed some of the top online scratch cards that we've found below. They represent a great starting point for players to figure out their appetite for risk, desired ticket cost and preferred theme/game type:
- Chris Tarrant's Millions
- 33Chances
- £100,000 Cash
- Instant Millionaire
- Full Bloom
- 10 Lucky Years
- Raid The Piggy Bank
- Fruity Flurry
- 777
Free Scratch Cards Online
Although top casino sites usually let players try out most of their casino games for free (excluding progressive slots), we're sad to say that none of the winnings players rack up in practice mode can be cashed out. Well, at least any losses aren't real either!
With that said, there is a way to win when you're scratching for free. Bonus online scratch card winnings can, once you've cleared wagering requirements, be withdrawn as real cash. So how exactly do players claim a bonus like this?
Even the best online casinos are always eager to attract new players, and one way to do this is by offering no deposit bonuses. Straightforwardly enough, these are bonuses that can be claimed without the need to make a deposit first. Once players have one of those, they're just one step from enjoying a free bonus online scratch card.
No deposit bonuses are usually modest – in the region of $10-$20 – but offer a great opportunity to get an idea of games on offer at a casino site without players risking any of their own cash. Just be aware that winnings must be wagered many times over before you cash out.
National Lottery Scratch Cards
In addition to their extensive (and ever-growing) range of physical scratch cards, which most players have seen in their local newsagent or supermarket, the UK National Lottery also offers around 50 online scratch cards to buy.
With odds ranging from 1 in 2.28 to 1 in 4.99 and jackpots ranging from £50 to £4 million, and costing anywhere from 25p to £10, it's difficult to imagine a more varied selection of games than those available on the main National Lottery website.
Just like with an online casino, National Lottery players must open an account (to prove your age, among other things) before they can play. Unfortunately, those that do decide to enjoy National Lottery's instant win scratch cards online won't find any welcome promotions or no deposit bonuses to take advantage of.
FAQ
What are the best scratch cards to win on?
In terms of winning regularly, lower variance scratch cards with small jackpots are better for cash wins because they can 'afford' to pay out more regularly. For players chasing life-changing sums of money, look for big jackpot games. Test out some free online scratch cards first to get an idea of how often to expect wins.
How to win on scratch cards?
To win at scratch cards, players should find a game with the lowest odds. This will give them the greatest chance of winning real money on a scratch card. Then, follow the instructions the casino gives to reveal panels that may lead to a jackpot. Players that want to win on scratch cards for free should look for online casinos that offer a no deposit bonus or scratch card welcome bonus.
Can you win real money on free scratch cards?
Generally speaking, no. Although many casino sites will let players try scratch games for free, players will only be able to win practice credits on them. One possible exception is a no deposit free bonus. Online scratch card wins from these are available but come with wagering requirements from the casino site.
Are online scratch cards rigged?
If players use a legitimate site they should have no worries when using real cash or free online scratch cards. If you do find yourself on a cold or hot streak, this should only be down to good or bad luck. To find authentic online casinos that offer scratch card games, check out our list of top casinos, and learn more about how we rate these operators.
Can you win big on online scratch cards?
Absolutely. Excluding progressive slots online, scratch cards represent one of the best games to land big wins on casino sites. With jackpots of $1 million or more, players need to spend a long time (or a bundle of cash) at the tables to match them.
How old do you have to be to buy scratch cards?
This depends entirely on the legal gambling age restrictions in the player's country of residence. Some countries, such as the USA, can have a range between 18 and 21, depending on the individual state's legislation.
In other countries, such as the UK for instance, the age limit is lowered down to 16 for specific scratch card games like the National Lottery. Before buying any scratch cards, players should first find out the minimum age for gambling in their country.
