How To Play Mobile Scratch Cards Online

This may seem like the gambling equivalent of teaching a grandmother to suck eggs, but don’t be so cynical. There is a huge variety of online scratch cards and some little differences you should take note.

Ok sure. In theory, everyone knows how to play scratch cards. We are not going to tell you to “rub your finger in a vertical up and down motion until all the symbols display”. Though technically we just did.

No, this is more specifically about the variety of mobile scratch cards you can find online and what you should watch out for. It will make all the difference in finding the right type of scratch card game that you’ll like.

Equally, you’ll be happy to know that all the instant scratchies we have in our ‘best mobile scratch cards’ are instant play. That means you won’t have to download anything to play scratch cards on your iPhone, iPad or Android tablet or smartphones.

The Different Types of Mobile Scratch Cards

Below we’ve written what we look out for when we play mobile scratchies. These are mostly aesthetic and functionality, to make the experience more enjoyable. What we look for in order to try and win at mobile scratch cards is in our tips and strategy section.

Match Three Symbols VS Match Three Symbols in a Row

The traditional cards will ask you to match three symbols (or amounts) anywhere on the card. Others however, will be pickier and ask you to create a row of winning symbols. Think playing noughts and crosses, but with cards. Other mobile scratch card games go even further and ask you to specifically match one set of symbols on any row.

Needless to say, we generally prefer the ones where you can match three symbols anywhere on the card. However, how much the card pays out it more tied in with the RTP rate.

Cost of the Card Vs Jackpot Win

How much you pay for the card directly affects the jackpot within the card. The higher the price, the bigger the jackpots, but that said, you also have maximum guaranteed jackpot games, with a set amount, regardless of the cost of the card. Worth keeping an eye out on those ones.

Scratch All Function

If you happen to be after one quick scratch of a mobile scratch card, then this function doesn’t matter too much to you. You have one card, you scratch, and you reveal the symbols. Done.

However, if you want to play more than once and are feeling a little lazy, the scratch all function certainly comes in handy. We’ve used it as we tend to play more than one mobile scratch card at a time and it allows us to quickly see all the symbols. Not all cards come with this automatic function, so look out for it if you are in the mood for multiple scratchies.

And no, we don’t think it ruins the fun, but if you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it.

Ability to Pick Your Card

Now this is an odd one. Basically, this function in the mobile scratch card allows you to flick through the selection of cards and pick the one you think will be lucky.

It’s still the same card in terms of game play mind you; they just have different numbers on them. Like on the real scratch cards, which are numbered as they roll off the production line.

This is nice if you have a lucky number or if you want a more realistic feel. It doesn’t directly affect your odds of winning, but it makes the experience almost more authentic.

The Theme and Graphics

The theme is probably the biggest difference between the mobile scratch cards you’ll come across. After all, the game is so simple, many of the cards will look similar. It’s basically a 3 by 3 square. The look and feel of the card can enhance or decrease your general enjoyment.

Perhaps you like fancy, beautiful graphics that jump out of the screen? Playtech is your software. Or maybe you prefer the more authentic look, with the ability to choose your cards and almost feel like the real paper card? NextGen has a great scratch card for you.

Special Features

Not something we’ve come across on any of our mobile scratchies yet, but no doubt will become more popular. Many online scratch cards have ‘special features’ closely resembling those of online slot machines. So a gamble feature where you’ll be able to gamble to double your winnings on a coin toss. Or perhaps if you reveal a special symbol you’ll get a ‘free go’ (the slot equivalent is a free spin).

Like we said, not something that will impact your mobile experience just yet, as we haven’t seen many of these, but they are coming. We guarantee it. So watch out for them.

So what now?

The variances above are mostly for the look and feel of the card. They will affect your general enjoyment of the mobile scratch card game, but not the overall outcome, ie. how much you win. To help increase your odds of winning at mobile scratch cards, read our tips and strategies next.

Next up: Mobile scratch card tips and strategies »