Scratch Card Checker - How To Tell If You've Won a Prize (2024)

The following scenario is relatively common, you’ve purchased a scratch card from a local store, scratched away the little panels, and you think you’ve won. But how do you check the card?

If only there was a ‘Scratch Card Checker’ app – bad news, there isn’t one! Nevertheless, I can show you how to check a scratch card thoroughly.

HOW TO CHECK IF YOU’VE WON

It might seem obvious but make sure you double-check your ‘winning’ scratch card. Read the game rules; different cards have different formulas for winning. Matching three symbols on one card might be a win; another could require you to match two or four.

Modern scratch cards typically have multiple games. This can make checking a ‘winning’ card more confusing. Make sure you’re not mixing the symbols or win-lines from one game with another. The £3 National lottery cards seem to suffer from this problem more than £5 games.

While matching symbols is relatively easy to understand, some Lottery scratch card such as ‘Mega Cash Showdown’ and ‘Cash 7s’ can be confusing. ‘Mega Cash Showdown’ has 35 numbers to check and ‘Cash 7s’ 15 rows to reveal.

Scratch Card Checker - How To Tell If You've Won a Prize (1)

QUICK TIPS

Using a sheet of paper to cover an area of the scratch card allows you to focus on checking one column or row at a time.

Don’t get excited and rub-off all the silver panelling straight away. Revealing areas on the card in a systematic manner will help you see winning combos.

Get a family member or friend to double-check the scratch card for you, especially if your eyesight isn’t 20/20.

CHECK SCRATCH CARD IN-STORE

If you think you have a winning card, you can get it checked by a Store or Post Office with a National Lottery terminal. Each National Lottery scratch card sold in the UK has a four-digit validation number printed on the card. This helps prevent fraud and false claims. The number is checked against the National Lottery database.

BE CAREFUL

Ask the assistant in the store to check the card for you. However, never leave the card with a terminal operator. In rare cases, shop assistants have told people they haven’t won, only to pocket the money once the customer has left the ‘losing’ card in the shop.

Retailers/Stores can pay out winnings up to £100, wins above £100 and up to £500 could be paid out in a store, but it depends on the individual shop’s policy. The UK has designated Post Offices where you can claim bigger wins. All amounts above £50,000 must be claimed in person at your home or an agreed location with Camelot.

NON PAYMENT

If you think you’ve won, but the store refusing to accept the scratch card, what can you do? Firstly, it could be a genuine problem with the Lottery terminal or Scratch Card. Please don’t take out your frustration with the store assistant. Occasionally, Lotto machines breakdown or suffer technical difficulties. Try another day, or visit the main Post Office if you can. The best way to resolve the problem is to contact the National Lottery directly.

PROBLEM CARDS

Another issue which can occur is shops selling a roll of Scratch Cards without registering them first. It will make checking wins difficult as the card will not be in the ‘system’ yet. This problem is usually resolved quickly as many customers will have the same issue.

On rare occasions, the National Lottery issues scratch cards with printing errors. Several disappointed players have seen significant wins denied when production errors have been uncovered.

EXPIRED CARDS

Expired cards are another problem for players. All National Lottery scratch cards sold in the UK have a ‘best before’ date. Typically you have 180-days to claim a win. However, you might have less time depending on when you purchased the card. I have a full article on the issue here.

DAMAGED SCRATCH CARD

It’s every player’s worst nightmare; you’ve only gone and washed that winning scratch card with your socks! However, a spin in the washing machine doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve washed away that win. You can send damaged cards to the National Lottery, and they will attempt to validate them.

CONTACT CAMELOT

The best way to resolve a problem is to contact Camelot/National lottery directly. You can also view the full rules for playing UK scratch cards online here.

CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be good ways to check if a particular game card has issues. Try a search on the #nationallottery hashtag or a general search on ‘scratch card problem’.

UNCLAIMED JACKPOTS

If you want to check which jackpot prizes are still available – try our page here. I give details on the major jackpots which remain unclaimed. It’s also worth check this page before you buy a card too. Many cards still in circulation have zero jackpots remaining. Why waste money when you have NO chance of winning the top prize?

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Scratch Card Checker - How To Tell If You've Won a Prize (2024)

FAQs

What is the most likely scratch card to win on? ›

Top 5 Scratch Cards with the Highest Return to Player
  1. Lucky Numbers – 96.57 %
  2. Whack a Jackpot – 96.30 % ...
  3. Wish Upon a Jackpot – 96.06% ...
  4. Pig Wizard – 95.82% ...
  5. Merlin's Millions – 95.17% Boasting an extremely high RTP for an online scratch game, Merlin's Millions is a popular choice for this type of casino genre. ...
Nov 22, 2022

Where are the most winning scratch tickets sold? ›

Convenience stores sell the most winning lottery tickets
  • Liquor Stores. 194. ...
  • Supermarket. 109. ...
  • Mom & Pop Shop. ...
  • Bagel/ Doughnut Shop. ...
  • Tobacco Store/ Stand. ...
  • Gas Station. ...
  • Small Grocery Store. ...
  • Miscellaneous Retail Store.
Apr 5, 2024

Which scratchcards have top prizes left? ›

Look at what you could win
Game nameGame numberRemaining top prizes
£100,000 A Month For A Year13753
£100,000 Paris14135
£100,000 Red13773
£100,000 Teal13842
46 more rows

Which scratchcard has the best odds? ›

The Gold Fever National Lottery scratchcard has the best overall rating on Smart Scratchcard, at 91/100. Your odds of winning at least some money back are 1 in 3.43 - though this could be a small prize.

What is the singleton method for scratch cards? ›

Chart the "random" outside numbers that repeat.

Pay close attention to "singletons." These are the "random" numbers that appear only once on the ticket. The digits you're looking for won't be the same--that would mean they would appear more than once. Remember, you're looking for numbers that appear only once.

Has anyone ever won the set for Life Scratcher? ›

HAWYARD, Calif.

- A California airport worker is set for life after winning $20 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket. The California Lottery said Durwin Hickman works at a Bay Area airport and bought a $30 Set For Life! ticket on his lunch break.

What state has the most winning scratch-off lottery tickets? ›

The least lucky state in the U.S. is Mississippi, with 0 big lottery winners and a life expectancy of only 74 years. The state with the most lottery winners is New York with 50 total winners.

How many scratchcards can you buy? ›

You can purchase 1, 10 or 100 if you like! If you want to buy a large number of scratch cards, make sure you find a shop with plenty of stock and check to see if they have any buying limits in place. Also, be aware that a shop assistant can refuse to sell scratch cards to customers.

Who won the 12 pays of Christmas scratch card? ›

Craig Harrison and Debbie Piper Craig Harrison and his partner of 35 years, Debbie Piper, who are both pub managers from Lowestoft, have many plans for their family's future after winning the £100,000-a-month-for-a-year top prize on The National Lottery's '12 Pays of Christmas' Scratchcard in December 2022 – but first ...

What is the most expensive scratch off ticket in Texas? ›

Game No. 2400 - $20 Million Supreme.

How do scratch-off stickers work? ›

These labels come with scratch-off pigments on top that are carefully applied. Like any regular label, scratch-off labels are quite simple to use. These peel and stick labels can either applied by machine or hand. The fun and unique aspect of scratch off-labels is any text can be printed beneath the sticker.

How do you tell if your Florida scratch-off is a winner? ›

Check the official drawing results to see if you're a winner! Drawing results are available on the Lottery's website at www.flalottery.com, at authorized Florida Lottery retailers and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY (7529).

What Michigan lottery game has the best odds of winning? ›

Your best chances to win the lottery will be in this order: Instant Tickets, Michigan Lotto, then the Powerball.

How much is a book of $5 scratch tickets in Florida? ›

The Big Reveal: A book of $5 scratch-off tickets in Florida will typically cost you $25. That's right, for the price of a fancy coffee and a questionable muffin, you can become the envy of your entire neighborhood (or at least the pigeons who might benefit from your future windfall).

Is Scratch Magic lottery Scratch legit? ›

It is a ”gambling simulator “ and they make money only from advertisements. None of the money you “win”, will you ever see. Unless you're literally just looking to kill time, save yours, because you'll only be wasting your energy if you're playing this game expecting any sort of payout.

How to win Hollywood scratch card? ›

The player is presented with a 3×3 grid of symbols. These need to be “scratched” using your finger (on mobile) or your cursor (if on a PC or laptop). If you match three symbols on your card, you will be awarded with that prize. Remember, you can only win one prize per scratch card.

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