Scratchcards are small cards on which one or more areas are scratched off to reveal information concealed beneath. Scratchcards are mostly for gambling purposes, although they are also sometimes used for free-of-charge games, such as quizzes or to transfer sensitive information, such as credit card PIN numbers.
Gambling scratchcards are big business, with worldwide popularity increasing at a greater rate than any other form of lottery. Depending on the nature of the game, the player must either remove the entire scratchable area or select a small section to scratch off. On many cards, a win or loss is dependent on removing the correct areas. In this case, if all areas are removed, the card becomes invalid. If a loss is sustained, the player may choose to remove the remaining areas to see how much they might have won.
Scratchcards are readily available at most newsagents and their accessibility and affordability goes some way to explaining their enduring popularity. There is also great appeal for the player, because they find out instantly if they have won, rather than having to wait for a lotto draw.