Scratch Cards

As funny as it may seem, scratch cards are playable online indeed, and many large online casinos offer online scratch card games for their customers.

In the real world, scratch cards are usually available at casinos but sometimes at street vendors too, in places where this type of gambling is legal. A scratch card usually consists of a slice of paper, one side of which is covered by a special kind of paint, that can be removed by scratching with a sharp and hard object.

The section under the paint will reveal symbols that – much like in the case of a slot machine – need to form a certain pattern in order to be declared a winner. Details regarding winning combinations/patterns and payout are usually printed on the scrach card.

An online scratch card is a virtual version of the above described form of lottery. There are two types of online scratch cards available in casinos: download based ones and flash based ones.

Flash scratch cards require no download. As soon as the player starts up the java client, he can play without any further fuss. Scratch cards software usually features several virtual tools one can use to scratch his/her cards, thus adding to the authenticity and enjoyment of the game.

Download based scratch card clients offer better graphics,  but the principle behind the system is the same.

Besides online casinos, there are scratch card companies out there offering such games. Often, there will be sign-up bonuses – just like in online poker – which can be as high as 100% match on the player’s deposit.

A commonly encountered player fraud is when a person signs up several times under different aliases to benefit from the bonus several times.

Fraud, of course, is subject to a zero tolerance policy by the scratch card site operator.