We all know what scratchcards are and it probably seems safe to assume there wouldn’t be many interesting facts to learn about them. That, however, is where you’re wrong.
So without any further ado, lets us treat you to 10 things you probably didn’t know (or need to know) about scratchcards:
1. A scratchcard can go by many different names in the English language, so if ever you hear someone at the shop asking for, a ‘scratch off’, ‘scratch ticket’, ‘scratcher’, ‘scratch’, ‘scratch-it’, ‘scratch game’ or ‘scratch-and-win’, you’ll know what they’re talking about – generally the theme here is the word ‘scratch’.
2. In 2010 online versions of scratchcards became available. They used systems such as Flash and were (and still are) available available at many bingo sites like this one here..
3. Scratchcards are not only offered as gambling products, but are also used by companies to send private information to customers! Institutions such as banks will often seal a pin code underneath a scratch panel; this allows the recipient to know whether the mail has been tampered with and therefore whether the sensitive information has been compromised.
4. The First scratchcard was produced in 1974 by a scientist called John Koza with the help of a retail specialist, their product was an instant lottery game.
5. Some lottery companies will allow you to know whether the major prizes have already being paid out on a series of cards. Knowing this information could stop you from wasting your money!
6. The most expensive scratchcard available over the counter costs a whopping $30USD, which is around £20!
7. The top jackpot prize in the UK is £1M and that card costs £5 to buy.
8. In the UK the National Lottery payout to 694,301 winners each day!
9. The first scratch card introduced in the UK in 1995 and was introduced by Camelot, it cost £1 to buy.
10. In New Zealand, only 12 cards can be sold at a time.
So there you have it, ten facts you probably didn’t know about scratchcards. Of course, knowledge is power, but unfortunately unless you’re a statistician and you can decipher a pattern, it doesn’t seem likely that you’re going to be a guaranteed winner.
One such person who is a statistician is Joan Ginther, she has won just short of £13 million by buying scratchcards. It’s never been known for sure but it is speculated that she has used her number knowledge to track down the winning cards by discovering other information such as shipping dates, critics would probably say her luck is based on the sheer number of cards she has bought.
Enjoy the scratchcards but don’t get carried away, that’s the best idea!