One of the simplest games of chance is the scratch card. The first scratch cards appeared in the 1960s when many US grocery stores handed out cards with purchases. They were covered with a waxy coating and contained a possible cash prize. At that time, the prizes were minimal, but customers loved them.
The first scratch cards went on sale in Boston in 1974. Customers mobbed shops, buying fistfuls of tickets. Lines stretch around the block, and stores demanded extra tickets.
In the late 1980s, the non-toxic, water-based coating was invented by a scientist named Jerome Greenfield.
Traditional scratch cards continued to be popular, even when internet-based gambling was introduced. But it wasn’t long before companies realized that moving instant lotteries online allowed them to increase the variety of scratch card game selections considerably. The user experience also improved significantly. The scratch cards you buy online today use animations, sound effects, and graphics to make the experience immersive and exciting.
If you’ve not yet been hooked by the scratch card phenomena, let’s explain how it works for people who reside in Canada.
The Benefits of Real Money Scratch Cards
Scratch cards are very popular with Canadians, and there are several reasons why:
- It’s a simple game
- The investment is minimal
- There’s the possibility of big prizes
- You can try your luck whenever and wherever you want to
Where to Find the Best Online Scratch Cards in Canada
Wherever you live in Canada, you’ll have access to one or more online scratch card platforms. The Interprovincial Lottery Corporation powers the lottery system in Canada. This corporation is split into five regional lottery commissions, each responsible for a particular territory or province. The commissions regulate online lottery tickets and scratch card distribution within their boundaries. The commissions are as follows:
- Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG): Ontario
- The British Columbia Lottery Corp (BCLC): British Columbia
- The Atlantic Lottery Corp (ALC): New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
- Loto-Quebec: Quebec
- The Western Canada Lottery Corp (WCLC): Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Yukon
Residents of the BCLC, ALC service areas, and Loto-Quebec can buy scratch cards online by creating an account at the regional website. The same does not apply to people who fall under the OLG and WCLC service area.
How to Play Canadian Online Scratch Cards
The first step is to register for an account. It’s a straightforward process that shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes. You have to provide some basic information and agree to the terms and conditions.
The next step, once you created an account, is to make a deposit. This is what you’ll use to purchase your scratch cards. It’s then a case of choosing your scratch card game, manually or automatically scratching the online card and checking whether you’ve won.
When you scratch the card, it will reveal certain symbols. If you uncover a winning combination, you claim your prize.
There are a few different scratch cards to choose from:
- Instant win scratch card: This is the simplest way to enjoy the scratch card experience. You purchase a card and scratch it to reveal a winning combination, hopefully.
- Lines: This is a much larger card that contains more fields. The aim of the game is to get winning symbols that form a single line.
- Themed scratch card: You’ll find this type of card at many online gaming venues. They feature various themes and respective symbols.
Scratch card Odds
According to scratch card paytables, most online scratch cards yield an average 95% return to players. This is around the same as most online slots games.
Generally, the odds in other casino games such as online Blackjack and Roulette are better than scratch cards. This is due in part to the number of variations these games have. Players can make different bets based on strategy and experience. Scratch cards, on the other hand, are a game of chance.
What to do When You Win
When you win on a scratch card, your winnings will be credited to your account on the respective platform. When you opened your account, you would have chosen a favorite payment method. This is what you use to withdraw your winnings from the account.
Why Play Online Scratch Cards
Playing scratch cards is one of the easiest ways to win a significant sum of money without a sizeable investment. All that aside, it is also a game of chance that comes with a certain amount of excitement. If you’ve never scratched a card before, why not try one and see how you like it? There’s little to lose, and there’s a promising possibility you’ll win something.