As you can see, virtual scratch card games are actually cheap to play. Back in the days, winning at cardboard scratch cards usually implied having to undergo various claiming procedures, which often cost more than the actual prize. In addition, if you were to play other casino games, such as poker, blackjack or roulette you would need to make a substantial deposit. Granted, some online casinos permit players to enter a poker game with as little as one dollar. However, if you think about it, an online poker player cannot do much with such a small sum.

In addition to being the most inexpensive game of its kind, playing scratch cards over the internet does not present many risks. Since you do not have to invest large sums of cash, the chances that you are exposing yourself to serious financial hazards are extremely low. Let’s take online poker for instance: you can spend an entire week playing carefully and earning over $100,000 and lose double that sum to a single bad gaming session. Because the initial investment to play scratch cards online is practically a fraction of the sums played in online poker, a bad luck streak will not really affect your finances.

Also, a further benefit of playing scratch card games online results from their 24/7 availability. In other words, by laying scratch cards over the internet you no longer have to exit the house or office during those scorching summer days or blistering cold in order to purchase cards. In addition, you can play online whenever and wherever you want to, providing you have internet access. On a side note, the popularity of the online scratch cards made it imperious for developers and online casinos to create mobile versions of the games.

Europe first became impacted by recession late in 2008, and while some countries have managed to fight their way out, others such as the UK are still suffering amid the fallout. When looking at business during a recession, there are invariably some sectors that suffer as expected. Among the examples of sectors that traditionally struggle are tourism, retail and services.

Recessions are sweeping in nature and generally suck in most business areas. However, there are some sectors that are generally considered to be recession-proof, with one of these being gambling – this where online scratch cards come in.

National Lottery Sales Thrive in the UK

Stepping outside of the online realm for a moment, it should be noted that lottery sales in the UK have performed strongly since the recession. In terms of sales, the National Lottery raked in a staggering £6.5 billion in 2011, demonstrating that Britons were still open to gambling. Now, when looking at that huge chunk of revenue, it should be pointed out that there was an increase of 12.1 per cent on 2010. Moving forward in time, the National Lottery announced that £999 was spent by people in the UK leading up to September 2012. Thus far it appears that people in the UK have been receptive to playing paper-based scratch cards during the European Recession.

Online Casinos Perform Strongly in 2010

Figures for the UK casino industry in 2010 estimated the market value to be approximately £1.1 billion – this strong performance is in line with similarly strong offline performance by the National Lottery. Industry personnel have pointed out performance was only so strong because online casino sites bailed out their offline counterparts. It seems that in the depressed European economy, players began logging on to online casinos as opposed to paying lots more to spend the night at an actual casino. Players did not want to sacrifice their wagering and turned to online casinos to fill this void.

Online Scratch Cards are Appealing

Basically, the influence of the European Recession has contributed to cultivate a situation where people are more susceptible to online scratch cards. As a way of saving money, players are now going to online casinos instead of offline. They do not want to stop wagering because they enjoy the lure of playing for a jackpot, which looks even more appealing in the aftermath of the recession.

The Games are Getting Better

For a long time software developers have concentrated on slots and casino games, not giving scratch cards as much as attention. However, that has now changed with top development companies basing their scratch games on major movies and TV shows. In summation, online scratch cards have grown in popularity during the European Recession and have been largely unaffected by any negative effects.

As you probably know, the jackpot in gambling represents the accumulation of cash following matches when none of the players is declared a winner. Progressive jackpots consist of pots which constantly increase their value for each game played up to the point when a player wins and claims it, resetting it to zero. In online scratch cards, progressive jackpots have their value augmented by each player who scratch a card and does not obtain a winning combination.

Considering the number of players who engage in the games simultaneously, it is easy to imagine the dimensions these progressive jackpots can reach, particularly for versions of online scratch cards with singular winning combinations or lower number of scratch boxes. In the real world, the value of the jackpot cannot be updated as quickly due to obvious physical setbacks. On the other hand, the player can always visualize just how much the jackpot on his favorite website has grown in real time.

Furthermore, there are certain websites which enable players to check the individual jackpots of different games simultaneously. This approach allows you to redirect your attention towards the game of scratch cards with the highest possible jackpot and maximize your earnings in case you win. At the same time, it boosts the excitement and confers the game the dynamism of immensely more complex gambling games.

Apart from making the play more interesting and fast-paced, displaying the progressive jackpots has secondary advantage: bringing more players to the game. This is in fact a twofold benefit, because the gambling website gains more customers and the additional players boost the value of the jackpot. All in all, if you are a scratch card enthusiast, then you should definitely start looking for gambling websites that provide visible progressive jackpots on their banners or on their homepage.

Online scratch card games are non-competitive forms of gambling, as you are not even playing against the house. In most gambling games, the house always has an edge over the player, whereas in online scratch cards your odd of winning are determined solely by your luck and the random number generator. There is a catch of course, the only methods to maximize your cash profits comprise of playing games medium value cards and more winning symbol combinations. However, this small setback is easily outweighed by the benefit of investing a minimum amount of time, cash and effort for a chance to win.

Furthermore, you probably remember the scratch cards you bought at your local store as a kid with nostalgia. But do you also remember how boring and unattractive they looked? How about the irritation you felt when you purchased a card only to notice that you don’t have a coin to scratch it with so you had to use your nails?

The online versions of this game consist of numerous intricate animations and one thing is for sure: they will never look dull. You also have various websites that provide you scratch cards themes with whatever motif you enjoy, from sports to movie stars or music and anything in between. With respect to the scratch part, you can simply use the mouse (or your touchpad, for an extra dose or realism).

Lastly, many of the popular scratch card websites offer frequent players benefits in addition to the opportunity to win prizes. From free deposits to bonus scratch cards, reputable online gambling websites know how to show they value their customers. Think of it this way, you can enjoy as many scratch cards as you like, from the comfort and intimacy of your cushioned armchair and you stand to win prizes of equal or higher value to standard cards instead of waiting in line at the gambling parlor or the market! Not to mention that with online scratch cards you will not waste paper and cardboard!

Scratch card and player categories

There are basically two categories of people who enjoy online scratch cards: those who are keen on earning cash and those who play exclusively for fun as well as the occasional motivational reward. At the same time, scratch card values range from pennies to 30$ or more. You can also find scratch card games that are free of charge, which enable you to learn the ropes, but there are few cases when they will earn you a reward. To put it simply – the more expensive the card, the higher the payout.

Which one is right for you?

If you are in it for the money, then the best way to boost your chances is to play more cards of medium value, rather than spend all your money on just a few really costly ones. While holding stock capital belonging exclusively to one company may work for investors, remember that there is no financial analysis involved in the game of scratch cards. Statistics indicate that winning several smaller pots is more lucrative in the long run compared to winning fewer bigger ones. However, you also need to verify the value of the payout beforehand, because not all scratch card games reward winning players in the same manner.

Know the winning combinations

Scratch cards have either 1, 3 or 6 winning combinations in an overwhelming majority of cases. The more winning combinations, the better your chances of successfully uncovering one. It is necessary to point out that the cards with a singular winning combination will generally gather the largest jackpots, for obvious reasons. However, the versions with 3 or 6 possible combinations increase the player’s odds. You should opt for online games that allow you to play a few games for free before purchasing cards in order to learn the symbols and familiarize yourself with the basics. Even though the concept is largely similar for scratch cards, each version brings certain unique elements to the picture.

This does not entail that you cannot win a lot of cash, particularly if you are playing on a website that enables you to track the progressive jackpots in several games simultaneously. However, you don’t need to invest any effort in learning extensive regulations or tactics. You simply set your bet, the number of cards and start scratching to see if you won. And, you can even skip that part. There are online scratch cards games that enable you to perform these actions automatically, as you are about to find out. The three main options encountered on scratch card websites comprise of:

• Manual scratch card games
• Automatic scratch card games
• Auto play scratch card games

The first category – manual scratch card games – entails that the player enters the bet and then proceeds to scratching off the boxes on the card utilizing either his mouse or the touchscreen, if he is playing on a tablet or smartphone. The manual scratch option is preferred by nostalgic players who used to engage in the standard version of the game, because it is basically the closest you can get to that particular experience.

Automatic scratch games imply entering the bet and having the computer scratch the boxes in your place. Because there is less effort involved, you can play the game at a faster rate. However, some of the feeling is lost in the process. If you want to take the fastest route to winning, then you can opt for the auto-play option. In auto play mode, you only have to select the bet amount and the number of scratch cards you want to purchase. The computer will then display the results for each card on your screen. The auto play option is indicated for those who want to play the game only for the purpose of winning cash rewards.

You might be disappointed to hear this, but another important element that can help you win cash at scratch cards is to cash in the profits, or parts of it. The reason why money management is so important is rather simple: continuing to play with all the wins in the account will make it more difficult to keep track of the cash. Not to mention that there is always a chance you lose them all if you get caught in the game. One way to avoid losing what you won so far is to determine how many games you should play during a session and the total amount you wish to spend. More often than not, the lower the sum you allocate for a session, the less guilty you feel if you lose them all.

Since the key to winning at online scratch card games is cash management, another important thing you can try is to purchase cheap cards. If you only have $5 to invest in scratch cards, you can afford to buy more tickets and hence, increase your overall chances of winning. In addition, it is necessary to mention that cheap scratch cards also offer betters odds of winning, even though the payouts are relatively low. On a side note, by relatively low you should understand winning prizes of thousands of dollars and not millions, as you can win with more expensive cards.

The vast majority of sites include various VIP or club groups that have the advantage of paying higher jackpots and bonuses. Besides the higher earnings, by joining an exclusive group you will also be able to try out the newest scratch card games before other players. However, take note that these bonuses and the special promotions will only benefit players who will be frequenting the site often.

First and foremost, take note there are two types of sites where you can play scratch card games: specialized sites and regular online casinos. Irrespective of where you prefer to play, the most important thing the site should have is licensure. In fact, this is a crucial factor to account for since you will be depositing real money and possibly want to link your credit card to the account. At the same time, it is preferable that the site you opt for includes various payment methods so you do not have to go through the trouble of creating an additional account, transferring money, etc.

Once you verify that the site is properly licensed, the next element to look for is the variety of games they have to offer. The online scratch card games have come a long way and because nowadays they are available in wide array of variations, this is exactly what you should look for in a site. Although jackpots and prizes are captivating and motivating, you will eventually get bored after a while. The bottom line is that if you select a site with exotic looking cards, vivid animations and many exciting themes, you will not only be playing exclusively for money, but also for fun and relaxation.

If the site includes a plethora of scratch card games, allows a variety of payment methods and it is licensed, it is time to check out the bonuses. On a site note, some sites will also provide a special payment method for customers using a certain endorsed payment solution, meaning that you can earn 10% to 15% more than the initial sum you have deposited. However, the most important bonuses to check out are the registration free cash and the ones received during the games, as they allow you to play a lot more and increase the chances of winning.

First and foremost, you need to know that there is no such thing as the online lottery. In order to play, you will need to head down to the store or local gambling parlor and acquire a ticket. On the other hand, you can find an almost infinite variety of online scratch cards games that allow you to play from the comfort of your private settings. Therefore, convenience is definitely the high point of scratch cards over the lottery tickets. At the same time, scratch cards allow you to play practice games without any material stakes involved, so you can learn the ropes before gambling real money, as opposed to the lottery.

Another important distinction between the two gambling forms is that the lottery ticket permits players to select the numbers. On scratch cards, the combinations of numbers and symbols are determined randomly and independent from the player. Therefore, if you have a slightly more superstitious nature, you will probably enjoy the lottery tickets better. It is necessary to remember that not being able to select the winning numbers does not lower your chances of winning in scratch cards, but rather it is related to the nature of the game.

Online scratch card games offer superior versatility compared to the lottery tickets in terms of playing style, because the player can opt from a multitude of themes, animations and varieties. Lottery tickets on the other hand are always utilized in the same manner and the chances of winning are not affect by the way you fill in the ticket. However, sitting in front of the television set with your family and holding your breath as the winning numbers are announced can be quite exciting. Lastly, statistics indicate that scratch cards yield superior gain possibilities with minimalistic investments compared to the lottery tickets.

Again, similar to traditional scratch cards, their online version implies discovering various winning patterns and combinations in order to claim a prize. Obviously, the rarity as well as the types of combinations indicates various prizes or sums of cash. At this point, you might think that playing scratch cards online is like throwing money off the window; since it is very likely the site knows and switches the symbols so you do not win. Nothing can be further from the truth, as the patterns and symbols on the virtual scratch cards are produced by complex random number generator software. Therefore, neither you nor the casino can possibly know what is under the “scratch off” area.

Today, it is safe to state that people enjoy playing online scratch cards because of 2 basic reasons: the simplicity of the game compared to online casino games and the tons of entertainment and fun they provide. Essentially, playing scratch cards online will basically draw you in before you realize it. Add the fact that you can play scratch cards from the comfort of your own home and you have 1 in 3 odds of winning in the equation and will easily understand what the hype regarding online scratch cards is all about these days.

Speaking of winning, perhaps the biggest advantage of playing scratch cards over the internet is that you will be paid instantly, in a matter of seconds. Because of the notoriety they gained over the past couple of years, nowadays you will find thousands of sites where you can play dozens of variations of online scratch cards. This is why it is highly advisable that you choose a reliable site to play on!