Numbers Scratch
Match the winning numbers · up to 6 wins
History
Number-matching scratch cards are one of the oldest forms of scratch card, dating from the 1970s. They imitate a lottery: there are "winning numbers" and "your numbers", and the goal is to find matches. The format has survived almost unchanged for decades, because it is easy for a player to understand.
Number-matching cards are deliberately designed to resemble a lottery, because the lottery is for many the most familiar and "accepted" form of gambling. The "winning numbers vs. your numbers" structure feels safe and understandable. This is part of the secret of scratch cards’ success: they borrow the form of a familiar game but give the result at once.
Where it is played today
Number scratch cards are sold through state lotteries in almost every country, often with lottery-themed names. They are popular because they feel like a "real lottery" but give the result at once. At online casinos the same mechanic appears as "instant lottery" games.
Rules
The card has three winning numbers at the top and six of your own numbers below. You scratch the numbers open. Each of your numbers that matches one of the winning numbers is a win — and pays according to the multiplier shown under that number. You can get up to six matches on one card.
Odds & the maths
The mathematics of a number card is fixed: the winning numbers and your numbers are drawn from a certain range, and the probability of a match depends on how many numbers are available to choose from. As with all scratch cards, the return to player is typically 60–70%. More matches feels rewarding, but the average return is still clearly below the stake.
The design of this card shows how "win frequency" and "win size" are adjusted separately. A card that gives several small matches feels rewarding, even if the average return is the same as a card that gives rare large wins. The player should remember: how often you win tells you nothing about how much you win in the long run.
| Outcome | Pays | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| At least 1 match | 2×–30× / match | ~38% |
| Exactly 2 matches | 2×–30× × 2 | ~6% |
| 3 matches or more | 2×–30× × 3+ | ~0.6% |
| No matches | — | ~62% |
This card gives matches more often than a "three of a kind" type, which makes it feel more addictive — but individual matches are small. The average return is still below the stake.
Beginner’s guide
Set a bet, buy a card, scratch the numbers open one at a time or all at once. Compare your numbers with the winning numbers. A good observation: this card gives matches more often than a "three of a kind" type, which makes it feel more addictive — but the matches are small. This is a good example of how a game’s "feel" is designed separately from its mathematics.