Playing Scratch Cards at Real Money Online Casinos
One of the oldest forms of gambling found at regulated online casinos is scratch cards. Scratch cards are simple games where you scratch off a section of a digital card to see whether you’ve won a prize. They are a simple form of gambling that doesn’t require a learning curve.
Today, we will take a look at some advantages and disadvantages of playing scratch card games at online casinos.
Advantage – Low-Cost Gambling Option
Scratch cards can be some of the cheaper forms of gambling at online casinos. Scratch cards often come in varying stakes similar to online slot games. Cards can be found as cheap as .05 per card with the average card being between .25 to $1 per card.
Most online table games have a minimum bet of at least $1 per hand. As such, scratch cards can be a cost-effective way to gamble for those gambling with a small bankroll.
Disadvantage – Lower Average RTP Than Slots
One big disadvantage of playing scratch cards at online casinos is the RTP of the game. Many online scratch cards have an RTP ranging from 88% up to about 94%. On average, the RTP of a scratch card will be lower than most online slot games.
There are exceptions. If you do some searching, you will find scratch cards with RTPs above 95%. Merlin’s Millions has an RTP of 95.17%. Pig Wizard has a 95.82% RTP. Whack-A-Jackpot from Microgaming has an RTP of 96.30%. One of the best games out there is Lucky Numbers from Microgaming has an RTP of 96.57%.
Higher RTP scratch tickets are out there, but you have to hunt for them.
Advantage – More Than One Chance to Win
One great thing about scratch cards over table games like Baccarat or Blackjack is that you have more than one chance to win in most games. Many scratch card games give you multiple chances per ticket. For example, a game may give you five panels to scratch off to win.
Some games will give you 10 to 20 chances to win on a single ticket. The prizes available will range from 25% of your initial wager to a jackpot prize. You can find a list of available prizes in the terms for each game.
Disadvantage – Scratch Cards Do Not Contribute to Bonuses
One of the biggest disadvantages of playing scratch cards is that they do not contribute towards online casino bonuses. Scratch card games are either restricted gaming or contribute 0% toward the wagering requirement at an online casino.
Furthermore, you will never see a scratch card promotion for online casinos. The only place you’ll find a promo for scratch cards is from lottery sites. For example, in Virginia, you can get a bonus for making the first deposit at the Virginia Lottery site. The VA Lottery offers scratch card and draw games. The VA Lottery will soon be in charge of online gambling in Virginia.
Advantage – Slower Rate of Play Compared to Other Games
If you’re looking for a way to stretch your online casino bankroll, scratch cards may be an option. Just like live scratch cards, you have to physically scratch off the card area to reveal prizes. This takes a few moments for each card. Rather than mindlessly punching buttons or clicking a mouse, you have to take several seconds to reveal the prizes.
This extra interaction gives an authentic gaming experience and allows players to play for longer periods of time. Granted, some online casinos in Canada give you the option to instantly scratch the card to reveal prizes, but this takes away the element of fun that scratching off the card brings.
