In Australia, you can purchase instant win scratch cards over the counter at your local newsagencies and other licensed outlets (like some service stations). Scratch cards, also known as scratchies, are owned by the Australian gaming and lottery company, Tatts Group Limited.
Tatts Group Limited has a near monopoly on lottery games and scratchies in Australia, owning the following state-based organisations which distribute scratch cards within each of their own jurisdictions:
- Golden Casket (exclusively operates lotteries and distributes scratchies in Queensland)
- NSW Lotteries (exclusively operates lotteries and distributes scratchies in New South Wales)
- SA Lotteries (exclusively operates lotteries and distributes scratchies in South Australia)
- Tatts Lottery operates lotteries and distributes scratch cards in Victoria, Tasmania, The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory
LotteryWest is the only remaining state owned and operated lottery distribution company in Australia.
Scratchies purchased in one state or territory are not valid/exchangeable in any other state or territory across Australia.
Types of scratchies available to purchase in Australia
In Australia, scratch card prices levels vary, but typically can be bought for $1.00, $1.10, $2.00, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $10.00, $15.00 and $20.00.
The aim of all scratchies is to match numbers, complete puzzles or reveal codes to obtain a prize. Prizes will include cash, holidays, electronics and other valuables.
Some popular scratchies available at Australian vendors include:
- The Prestige (NSW Lotteries) – costs $15.00 and offers a top prize of one million dollars
- Bling Bingo (NSW Lotteries) – costs $4.00 with a top prize of $200,000.00
- Goldfish (NSW Lotteries) – costs $1.10 and offers a top prize of $20,000.00
- Rich Café (Golden Casket) – costs $2.00 with a top prize of $25,000.00
- Ho Ho Ho! (Golden Casket) – costs $2.00 and offers a top prize of $25,000.00
- $pot $ome Ca$h (SA Lotteries) – costs $1.00 with a top prize of $20,000.00
- Fortune (SA Lotteries) – costs $10.00 and offers a top prize of $300,000.00
- Crocodile Cash (SA Lotteries) – costs $1.10 with a top prize of $20,000.00
- Treasure Hunt (NSW Lotteries) – costs $4.00 with a top prize of $100,000
- Ruby 8s (LotteryWest) – costs $5.00 and offers a top prize of $100,000.00 (with three bonus games)
Each of the scratchies have different themes, art designs and slightly different rules, but the main aim remains the same. Lottery companies will constantly introduce more and more variations to keep their customers interested. Scratch cards are most popular as they provide instant results (why they are often referred to as ‘instants’).
Fun fact: Digitised scratch cards and lottery tickets (created on computers) were first developed in the United States of America in 1974 by a scientist and retail promotions specialist who worked for the Scientific Games Corporation.
The convenience of online scratchies
In Australia, under the Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) of 2001, online gaming operators and companies are not permitted to offer real money ‘instant win’ lottery tickets/scratchies via the Internet, to residents of Australia. Doing so carries a fine of up to $1.1 million per day for the online gaming company.
So Australian licensed and regulated online distribution lottery companies, such as Jumbo Interactive (via their Oz Lotteries website), do not market instant win style scratch cards. Jumbo Interactive is the chief distributor for all other Australian lottery products via the Internet, such as:
- The Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nationally syndicated lotteries
- The nationally syndicated Powerball lottery
- Lotto Strike
- Oz Lotto
- The Soccer Pools
- The Super and Mega Jackpot
You can purchase tickets to these games via Oz Lotteries, and by registering an account via any of our links, you will be rewarded with a free game.
While Australian online gaming operators do not offer instant win style scratchies to their Aussie customers, offshore licensed and regulated gaming companies do. While the IGA regulations apply to both local and foreign organisations, no offshore company has ever been prosecuted for offering such products. However, the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill, which went into effect in September 2017, now makes it illegal for offshore online operators to offer scratches to Australian citizens.Essentially, the IGA now prohibits online casinos from offering gambling services to Australian residents.
If you are an international reader from a country where online gambling is legal and regulated, and you are interested in playing some top notch real money scratchies on the Internet, then look no further than the following well established casino sites:
- Royal Vegas Casino – powered by Microgaming
- Guts Casino – powered by multiple gaming software developers
- G’day Casino – powered by multiple gaming software developers
These gambling websites adhere to the strict rules and regulations of their gaming governing commissions as well as independent regulatory and testing agencies, and provide keen punters with a host of entertaining and graphically advanced instant scratchies. Some of the best online scratch cards include:
- Whack a Jackpot
- Lucky Numbers
- Flip Card
- Card Climber
- Space Evader
- Wild Champions
- Dawn of the Bread
- 7 Gold Scratch
- Triple Wins
- Hole in One
- Hand to Hand Combat
And many more.
All gaming software is tested and approved for fair gameplay, and members can conduct all their financial transactions via any of the available globally trusted deposit and withdrawal methods (which all use the latest secure socket layer digital encryption technology to protect all personal data).
Most importantly, the gaming odds of the online scratchies are far more favourable for the player than typical scratchies you will buy at the newsagent. Online gambling operators do not have nearly as many overheads as land based venues, and so they can offer better odds and greater variety.