Are you looking for the best online scratch cards? If you are, then consider yourself a part of a consistently growing group of people.
Scratch cards are known by various names – scratch tickets, scratchers, scratch-and-win, scratch games, etc. They all refer to the same thing – you need to scratch something in order to reveal if you won or not. Traditional UK scratch cards will require you to literally scratch a silver foil to reveal what is underneath. These are thin cardboard cards with either a silver or opaque surface. These cards can be bought from casinos, booths, and other licensed shops. Whatever is revealed will indicate what you have won.
Online scratch cards follow the same rules – but instead of physically scratching the card to reveal the symbols underneath, you will just simulate it.
In general, scratch cards are appealing because they do not cost you too much money. And if you know where to look you can access free scratch cards online. Apart from that, there are other advantages to using these online scratch cards.
Advantages of online scratch cards
Another characteristic of scratch cards is you have a wide range of prizes. You can win as low as £5 and as big as £1,000,000. There may be some people who wish to win only big prizes. But if you enjoy the thrill of multiple wins – regardless of the amount, then this would be a great way for you gamble your money. And if the big prize money is already won, it is easy for the online casino to pull out the scratch cards and set up a new lottery. A physical scratch card does not have this luxury. You might be buying a scratch card that belongs to a group that already has a big prize winner. You would have gotten your hopes up for nothing.
Before you go on to search for the best UK scratch cards, you might want to get to know how it all started. The history of scratch cards started sometime before the mid-1970s. When it all began, the game tickets were made through manual randomization techniques. The first lottery tickets that had to be scratched off was called The Instant Game. It was launched by the Massachusetts State Lottery. In 1974, Scientific Games Corporation, an American company, produced the very first set of computer-generated lottery tickets. This was the foundation by which the scratch cards were built. 13 years after that, Astro-Med, Inc, a company in West Warwick, Rhode Island, got the patent for the instant scratch-off lottery ticket.
The first few scratch cards produced had a simple format. It only required players to scratch three areas. If it reveals the same symbols or numbers underneath, that means a prize was won. But over time, the scratch cards evolved and introduced various ways to win. Soon, scratch cards held themes to cater to specific markets. These themes included NASCAR, Major League Baseball, Marvel Comics, and Harley Davidson.
Currently, only two main manufacturers of lottery tickets are recognized – Scientific Games Corporation and Pollard Banknote.
Over the years, it was evident that scratch cards were a great advertising strategy for various causes – like charities, etc. Soon, technological advancements gave rise to what we now know as online scratch cards. In November of 2005, the first website dedicated to scratch cards was launched by PrimeScratchCards. It introduced a world involving the best online scratch cards – with interactive features and secure gaming opportunities (e.g bingo, slots, etc). Soon, other websites followed with their own free scratch cards online.
When looking for the best online scratch cards, you need to understand your options first. There are two ways you can get online scratch cards.
Now that you know your options, what else should you look for when it comes to finding the best online scratch cards? Here are some of the things that you need to look for.
Gameplay functions
You need to look at the game itself. The competition in this industry is fierce so top developers of online scratch cards like NetEnt, Playtech, and Microgaming make sure they offer something more. This is why you need to look at the features if you really want to find the best among the other online scratch cards. Some have animations, great graphics, or minigames. Find a feature that will give you the most entertainment for playing scratch cards.
Bonus
Another thing that you need to look into is the bonus. Most websites offering scratch cards should have a form of bonus to entice you to play. Does the welcome bonus include playing scratch cards? Or does it have its own bonus? If there is a loyalty scheme, you want to make sure you are aware of it so you can use it to your advantage.
Security and payment method options
This is always important in any online gaming endeavor. You need to make sure that the website you will opt to play scratch cards with will offer secure and safe deposit and withdrawal methods. You want options and you want the transactions to be convenient too. Make sure the payout method is something that is trustworthy – so you are sure that your winnings can be withdrawn without any problem.
Who does not want to get anything for free, right? This is why you should also be on the lookout for free scratch cards online. But what exactly should you expect?
Usually, this means you do not need a deposit to get a scratch card. You need to input a promo code – which you could have gotten from your email or as a bonus when you signed-up in an online casino. This should help you get started in playing the scratch card online. This code can also come from a loyalty program that is offered by the client.
When you get free scratch cards online, you should try to maximize it by learning how you can win more. There are a couple of things that you should remember.
In the end, it is important for you to just enjoy playing the best online scratch cards. Remember that this is a great form of entertainment – make sure you enjoy every minute of playing.