There are many online scratch card myths that do the rounds.
They’re rigged, right? Their patterns are predictable. You can’t win.
As is often the way in online casino gaming, these myths are provably untrue.
But those who haven’t taken the time to learn about scratch cards – or who are frustrated after losing a few times in a row – can make misinformed claims that can cloud the judgement of other players, who otherwise might be interested in trying out scratch cards for themselves.
So, it’s time we answered these scratch card misconceptions once and for all. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to separate the fact from the fiction – with some of the most common myths debunked for good.
#Myth – Scratch Cards are ‘Due’ a Win
It’s a common misconception of casino gaming that dates back to the old fruit machine style slot games found in bars and train stations… that a game is somehow ‘due’ to payout.
This is a myth for all games of random chance, including online scratch cards.
They are powered by a random number generator (RNG). This is an algorithm that churns out thousands of random number strings per second, with the code for your next scratch card determined at the time of purchase.
The RNG has no memory and no intellect. Its job is to simply deliver random number strings… so any patterns that are detected are a result of coincidence, rather than design.
So, every time you buy a scratch card, the result is completely independent of the last time you played. We explored this concept in our article ‘Tips for Winning at Online Scratch Cards’, if you want to read more about it.
#Myth – Certain Times Pay More
Here’s another of the instant win myths that can be explained away using the RNG theory detailed above.
As we’ve learned, every scratch card is governed by unpredictable randomness – the RNG just spits out the string of numbers that dictate whether your card is a winner or not.
This is an emotion-less algorithm: it is programmed just to deliver random numbers, in the same way that a random password generator online churns out pattern-less sets of numbers, letters and punctuation.
So how can a classic scratch cards pay out more frequently at certain times of the day? The RNG delivers an equal chance of winning whether it’s sunrise or sunset.
#Myth – Scratching Style Affects Results
The next of our scratch card myths debunked is that you can somehow affect the outcome of your card with a certain scratching technique.
In our article ‘What Are the Odds of Winning on Scratch Cards?’, we detail your probabilistic chance of landing a win. And we reveal that there is nothing you can do to change the outcome of your card after purchase.
As soon as you buy the card, the RNG churns out a code for that particular set of mini games. The animations that you see on screen – including the ‘scratching’ visual used to remove the panels – are just for presentation’s sake.
So, it makes no difference how you scratch a scratch card: the outcome has been pre-determined by the RNG at your point of purchase.
#Myth – Some Games Are Easier to Win
Here’s a common myth that isn’t as black-and-white as the others mentioned in this article.
Are some online scratch cards easier to win than others? From a probability perspective, the answer is a mild yes – we know that a game with a Return To Player (RTP) rate of 96% will pay out more frequently than an 86% game in the long run.
However, these RTPs are calculated over millions of plays, whereas the results from a single session can be drastically different to the stated RTP – for the reasons of randomness, as already discussed.
So, are some scratch card games easier to win? In theory, yes they are. But in reality, the RTP should be considered as a guide only – you could win less, or more, than expected in your next session.
Online Scratch Card Truths
With the most common online scratch card myths debunked, we can leave you with some truths.
At Prime Slots, scratch cards are governed by randomness. With the outcome of your next game determined by an RNG at the time of purchase – the animations displayed thereafter are just for visual presentation.
Maybe your luck is in, maybe it isn’t. But at least you know that online scratch cards are fair, random and completely unbiased… every time you play, your chance of winning is the same.
