On the face of it, online scratch cards are easy to understand. You scratch off the panels in the hope that you have won that particular game, perhaps by matching two or more of the same symbol.
But, behind the scenes, online scratch cards are actually pretty complex, with unique algorithms helping to determine how often a scratch card will pay out as a winner.
There are two main factors that loosely help to explain the payout frequency: return to player rate (RTP) and volatility. In this article, we’ll examine these in turn, revealing how they impact upon the theoretical probability of your next scratch card being a winner.
We’ll also detail how online scratch cards behave somewhat differently to online slots, whilst sharing some similar characteristics.
What Is RTP in Online Scratch Cards?
In this scratch card RTP explained article, we should first define exactly what RTP is.
It stands for Return to Player, and can be understood as the theoretical percentage of your stake that you could win back when playing a scratch card.
Now, there are some key points to note here. This is a theoretical percentage, which means that your win rate could be higher or lower than the number stated.
The RTP is calculated over a huge number of plays; literally millions. But the law of randomness dictates that you may win at a higher frequency than the RTP or at a more infrequent rate… there’s simply no way of predicting how a single session of play will go.
For a deeper dive into instant win RTP rates, read our article ‘What Are the Odds of Winning on Scratch Cards?’.
What Does Volatility Mean for Scratch Cards?
A sibling to RTP is volatility, which can also have an impact on online scratch card payout rates.
In theory, a low volatility scratch card has a more frequent prize distribution than a high volatility scratch card.
However, as mentioned in the RTP section above, scratch card volatility is calculated over millions of plays. But the results in a single session can be counter to this stated rate – for example, you may win frequently from a high volatility scratch card, or not win as often as anticipated in a low volatility game.
It’s important to remember that online scratch cards RTP and volatility are just a guide… they don’t necessarily dictate how your next session of play will pan out.
Scratch Card RTP & Volatility Compared to Slots
In our article that compared Online Scratch Cards vs. Slot Games, we took a comprehensive look at the similarities and differences of these two game types.
Both are powered by a random number generator, which feeds into the stated RTP and volatility rates.
But they have key structural differences. Online scratch cards have fixed payouts; you either win or you don’t. With online slots, of course, payouts can be variable based upon the number and value of the matching symbols in a combination.
As a consequence, online scratch cards often have a lower RTP than slots… although the prizes paid can be higher in value – players will need to weigh up whether it’s win frequency or size that they are seeking.
Some players feel that scratch cards are more predictable; perhaps because there are only two possible outcomes from a scratch. Slot games, meanwhile, are far more fluid.
But, as we’ve learned, online scratch cards and slots are governed by the same forces, i.e. RTP, volatility and randomness. So while the visual presentation of the two game types is very different, their mechanics and behind-the-scenes workings are somewhat similar.
Using RTP and Volatility to Choose Scratch Cards
At Prime Slots, we offer online scratch cards to suit all tastes.
That includes differing scratch card risk levels, which in this article we’ve defined as RTP, volatility and the inter-play between those two things.
So you can explore our library of classic scratch cards to find games that suit you: do you prefer low risk, low reward (i.e. high RTP, low volatility) or high risk, high reward – more common with scratch cards of low RTP, high volatility but with the potential for larger payouts?
Ask yourself where you sit on this particular spectrum, and then choose your next scratch card at Prime Slots based upon the ideas discussed in this article.
