Best Scratchcards to Buy

Play Scratchcards Online

The National lottery offers plenty of scratchcard games, but it seems big winners are made elsewhere. A female NHS worker in her mid-twenties from Blackpool won the insane amount of £1 million online. She bought a total of ten Wolf Gold scratchcards for just £4.

If you want to scratch cards online yourself, we recommend checking out the website Primescratchcards. There you can choose from 27 different scratchcards as well as additional instant win games.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for any special strategies or methods you can potentially use when playing scratchcards online, we suggest you take a look at this article on the Singleton method.

Online Casinos with Scratchcards

When thinking about scratchcards, we tend to think about the physical National lottery counters in supermarkets or bettings shops. What often doesn’t spring to mind is that most online casinos in the UK also offer scratchcard games. And what’s best is that you don’t even need a particular account for it. When you sign up with a casino site, you can just navigate to the scratchcard section and purchase your cards. It’s fair to say that most casinos don’t have as much of a selection as Lottoland, but on the other hand, you get access to thousands of other games.

We’ve put together a list of online casinos in the UK that also offer several scratchcard games. Have a look at the table below.

National Lottery Scratchcards

What Are They?

National Lottery scratchcards are the most popular in the United Kingdom and can be bought at most retailers throughout the country. They require you to scratch your card to reveal images or information which informs you whether you’ve won a prize or not. There are numerous scratchcards available and they each offer different prizes to players. They come at three different prices, usually between £1 and £5, and can be bought from most shops including supermarkets and off-licenses. At the time of writing, there is no limit to the number of scratchcards you can buy but participants must be aged 16 and over to do so.

However, it’s important to note that all National Lottery scratchcard games only have a finite supply of prizes and some retailers will continue to sell tickets to games even though all prizes have already been claimed. Below, you can quickly find the remaining prizes for all National Lottery scratchcard games so you’ll never again buy a scratchcard which has already credited all of its prizes.

How Do They Work?

National Lottery scratchcards are printed whenever a new game launches. The tickets are printed in large batches and are printed to either win or lose. Users who do scratch a winning card are required to inform the National Lottery who will then check the ticket and award the player their winnings, but more on that later.

To win a prize, you’re required to match several numbers or symbols. For example, in the National Lottery’s Magenta game, you must match three identical prize symbols with their matching prize captions. But revealing the National Lottery in the game will automatically reward you with £5. Meanwhile, in the National Lottery’s Cash Spectacular Yellow game, you must match one of the winning numbers and its prize caption with one of your numbers and prize captions. A money bag symbol in the game means you automatically win a prize!

Controversies

In February 2018, a report by the Guardian revealed that the National Lottery continues to sell scratchcards in the UK even after the prizes have been won. The site reported that games such as the National Lottery’s Millionaire 7s were still selling even though all six of the top jackpots had already been won. This occurred once again in May 2018, when scratchcards for the 20X game were still being sold after the final jackpot prize had been won. In November 2018, LatestDeals launched an investigation into the National Lottery and discovered that players had a slim to no chance of winning scratchcard prizes since most of the prizes advertised had already been won. The firm’s report found that the National Lottery had printed over 10,000,000 tickets for their Blue Game but, at the time of writing, only one winning ticket remained in circulation. Customers, however, were allowed to continue buying the game believing they still had a chance to win.

Scratchcard Winnings

With scratchcards, it’s possible to win anything from £5 up to one million pounds, it just depends on the scratchcard ticket you purchase. For example, you can win between £1 and £100,000 through the National Lottery’s Green Game, up to one million through the £1 million Cash Spectacular game, and even £4 million in the Blue Game. But what happens if you’re lucky enough to win?

How To Claim Winnings

If you discover you’re a prize winner, your ticket will need to be verified before you win anything. You’ll need to complete a Prize Claim Form which should, depending on the size of the prize, either be taken to the shop where you purchased the ticket or to Camelot’s head office:

Up to and including £100: Retailers must make payment in cash or cashless payment, or Post Offices in the UK can make payments in cash, cashless payment or cheques.

Up to and including £500: Retailers are allowed but not required to make payment in cash or cashless payment, designated Post Offices in the UK can make payment in cash, cashless payment or cheque.

Up to and including £500: Retailers are allowed but not required to make payment in cash or cashless payment, designated Post Offices in the UK can make payment in cash, cashless payment or cheque.

Up to and including £50,000: You’ll need to provide proof of identity and age. Post Offices in the UK can pay prizes of over £500 and up to £50,000 by cheque, and you’re entitled to receive the first £500 in cash or cashless payment.

Over £50,000: Prizes over £50,000 must be claimed in-person. These will be paid at either your home or agreed location, or at a Regional Centre. Payment will be made via cheque, bank transfer or direct credit. You’ll also need to provide the scratchcard, Prize Claim Form and age and identity verification.

In addition, you can also post your scratchcard and completed Prize Claim Form to the National Lottery address to claim your prize. You must enter your name and address on the back of the scratchcard and prizes are paid via cheque. However, you cannot do this for prizes over £50,000.

Improving Your Chances Of Winning At Scratchcards

While some people get enjoyment out of buying and playing scratchcards, it can actually be hard to win one of the top prizes. However, there are ways you can improve your chances of winning. If you do want to play scratchcards and win a prize, we suggest you only play when the National Lottery release a new game or reprint scratchcards. You can keep track of this by regularly checking the current scratchcard prizes shown on this page.

It’s thought that buying in bulk could also improve your chances of winning at scratchcards. Buying several scratchcards from the same shop in one visit can improve your chances over buying multiple scratchcards over a period of time. This is because scratchcard manufacturers plant winning scratchcards frequently and, according to theories, you’re more likely to find the planted scratchcard as part of a batch rather than as a single card.

Lastly, you should also have a long think about the type of scratchcard you’d like to purchase. For example, many people buy cheap scratchcards in bulk while others prefer buying one or two higher-priced scratchcards which can offer bigger prizes. The best scratchcards to buy are those you feel confident in, comfortable with and those that are within your budget. Scratchcards are fun and should remain so.

Online Scratchcard Games

Most punters who participate in scratchcards only play with real-life paper versions and most people aren’t aware that you can also play scratchcards online. These online scratchcards allow you to win large jackpots too but the main difference is that you cannot actually scratch the card since it’s automatically done for you.

The game works the same, you need to match three symbols or numbers in order to win a prize. However, the benefit of playing online scratchcards is that they tend to have a wider range of themes compared to paper-based scratchcards. You can find online scratchcards at lottery or scratchcard-specific websites such as Lottoland or you can find some at several online casinos.

What’s Great About Online Scratchcards?

Scratchcards are popular among so many people because they’re easy to play, easy to buy and offer you instant prizes such as cash sums, cars, technology and much more. Many people enjoy playing online scratchcards because they enjoy gambling but cannot afford or do not have the time to involve themselves with larger games such as blackjack or roulette. This makes scratchcards a cheap and fun solution.

There are numerous variations of scratchcards, each with different themes and gameplay. There are also fewer restrictions on the winnings, which means players won’t have to meet high wagering requirements like they do with traditional casino games. The primary reason many people enjoy online scratchcards is due to their speed since scratchcards are played through fast, allowing users to play through multiple cards and potentially collect several different prizes.

How Do Online Scratchcards Work?

Online scratchcards work similarly to slots as players are required to match symbols in order to land winnings. Like slots, online scratchcards are powered by a random number generator (RNG) which means the symbols are predetermined and that the game requires zero skill since all you need to do is click a button to “scratch” it! What’s important to note here is that the symbols featured in the game reflect the scratchcard’s theme.

For example, NextGen Gaming’s Volcano Eruption is themed on volcanos and a tropical island. Its symbols include wildflowers, tropical animals such as monkeys, frogs and lizards as well as a volcano bonus symbol. Matching three of these symbols prompts a winning combination and the player is awarded their stake multiplied by the value of the symbol or symbols.

Meanwhile, Scientific Games’ James Dean online scratchcard features photos of the famous celebrity as symbols alongside symbols of a car, a motorcycle, a car and a director’s board. James Dean’s Star of Fame acts as a bonus symbol, awarding players with an extra round.

Playing Scratchcards Online

When you first load up a scratchcard online, you’ll usually be presented with a three-by-three grid. Beside it, you’ll be shown a list of the symbols featured in the game as well as their multiplier values. Around the grid and symbols, you’ll see the ‘Win’ box which displays the amount of money won during a round and the ‘Balance’ box which displays your available balance. Depending on the game, you should also see a ‘Bet’ box or slider which allows you to adjust your bet and a ‘Play’ or ‘Buy Ticket’ button which starts the game.

Before you start the game, we suggest you adjust your bet to the appropriate value and then click the ‘Play’ or ‘Buy Ticket’ game to start the online scratchcard. Immediately after the button has been clicked, the three-by-three grid will be “scratched” to reveal the symbols. Matching three symbols horizontally, vertically or diagonally will earn you a win and the money will automatically be added to your balance.

Mobile Scratchcards

Online scratchcards have also become increasingly popular because they are mobile-friendly. Scratchcards can be played on all mobile devices (Providing its updated regularly) which gives players the freedom to play where they want and when they want. In addition, some mobile scratchcards play as real-life scratchcards, allowing users to “scratch” the cards with their fingers to reveal the symbols. Many people enjoy this because it feels more authentic than revealing all of the symbols with a single click.

Online Scratchcard Providers

Some of the most popular slot developers also create scratchcard games. Microgaming launched the successful Bill And Ted and Cashapillar games, Playtech launched their Beetle Bingo scratchcard and NetEnt’s Shoot 4 Gold game has proven to be quite popular among scratchcard fanatics. In addition to those, developers such as Pariplay, NeoGames and NetoPlay are well-known within the online scratchcard community for making fun and exciting games.

Pariplay is a firm that develops bingo, keno, slots, table games and online scratchcards. The company developed well-known online scratchcard games such as Star Raiders, Alchemist, Ocean Fortune, Dragon Scrolls, Cops & Robbers, and more. NeoGames, meanwhile, is an online scratchcard developer which is responsible for games including VIP Black Scratchcard, 7 Boom Scratchcard and Power Cash Scratchcard.

Online Scratchcard Promotions

Despite their rising popularity, you’ll rarely find a casino giving away a special bonus for users who play online scratchcards. Instead, you’ll find that most casino bonuses can be used on scratchcards, but this depends entirely on the casino. For example, some casinos offering scratchcards may restrict users from playing them to complete wagering requirements while others will allow this. Some casino sites may also restrict you from using your bonus money on scratchcards so it’s important you read through the terms and conditions of each bonus before claiming anything.

Where Can You Find Scratchcards Online?

While many people enjoy playing online scratchcards, it can actually be quite hard finding a casino that offers them. Luckily enough, we’ve found that sites such as The Grand Ivy, Vegas Hero, Spin Rider, Video Slots, and Royal Panda all offer scratchcards. However, it can sometimes be better to seek out a website that focuses on providing scratchcard games.

Lottoland Online Scratchcards

One such website is Lottoland, a website based in Gibraltar. It offers a wide selection of scratchcard games with various themes. Interestingly enough, many of the Lottoland online scratchcards allows users to use their mouse to “scratch” the cards and reveal the different symbols. This has proven to be incredibly popular among Lottoland’s players. What’s more, the website also allows users to wager on the result of EuroMillionare draws and offers other games such as bingo, keno, slots and classic table games.

National Lottery Scratchcards

The National Lottery, which runs the UK lottery and paper scratchcards, also offers online scratchcards on their website. The National Lottery scratchcards are somewhat limited compared to those at Lottoland since they only come in six designs. Like with Lottoland scratchcards, however, the National Lottery scratchcards can be “scratched” by using your mouse or by using your finger on a smartphone device. The National Lottery currently runs the UK’s lottery and scratchcard services, the brand is incredibly well-known and highly reputable.