The Definition — What "Instant Win" Actually Means
An instant win game is any casino game where the outcome is revealed immediately after you pay to play. There is no waiting period, and there is no spinning reel. You pay for the game, and the outcome is immediately known.
The term instant win game covers a wide range of games. However, every instant win game must feature the following elements:
- The result of the game is pre-decided by a Random Number Generator (RNG) when you purchase the game
- The revealed outcome of the game (scratching or clicking) has no impact on the pre-decided result
- The result of one game does not impact the result of another game
- Instant win games will always feature a published Return to Player (RTP) percentage
The term instant win game is used interchangeably with terms such as instant game, scratch card or scratchie, depending on which region of the world the reader is from. In the UK, the official term used for such games is instant win games.
Every Format of Instant Win Game
There are several different formats of instant win games available online.
🎴 Online Scratch Cards
This is the most common type of instant win game. Using an online scratch card, you will pay for the game and scratch it to reveal the winning symbols. RTP ranges from 92% to 97%. Providers include Pragmatic Play, Playtech, IGT and others.
🎱 Pull Tab Games
These are similar to scratch cards. Instead of scratching to reveal winning symbols, you pull on the tabs to reveal the winning symbols. These are available mostly in North America. They are less common in online EU and UK casinos.
🔢 Online Keno
You select numbers to play with. The outcome is then revealed instantly on the screen rather than waiting for the live draw. The house edge for online keno is high ranging from 15% to 30%. Therefore, the RTP is low compared to scratch cards.
💣 Mine / Crash Games
These are newer forms of instant win games. Mine games require selecting squares to avoid the squares that contain mines. Crash games require players to decide at what point the prize multiplier will crash. Both types of games feature instant win outcomes. The variance for both games is high.
🎰 Instant Slots
These games are created by instant win game software providers. They have no bonus features and take less than a second to complete a round. Due to the similarity between slots and instant win games, there is some overlap between the two categories.
🃏 Arcade / Casual Games
These are more specific brand games such as Deal or No Deal Instant Win. However, the results are still decided by a Random Number Generator at the start of the game. The bonus and prize structures are pre-decided and cannot be altered by the player during the game.
How Instant Win Games Work
The mechanics of instant win games are simpler than most people realize.
The RNG Determines the Result First
When you play any type of instant win game, the Random Number Generator establishes your result prior to the reveal of the outcome. Therefore, no matter how fast or how slow you scratch or tap on the screen, you cannot change your outcome.
How Online Scratch Cards Are Certified
All scratch cards that are licensed to be sold in licensed online casinos have an independent testing laboratory certify the Random Number Generator used in the game. Labs include GLI, BMM Testlabs, iTech Labs and eCOGRA.
The certificate that is provided by these independent testing agencies is provided regularly. The name of the certifying company will be listed in the game's "i" information or the game provider's documentation.
The Reveal Is Theatre
The outcome of your scratch card is already decided before you start playing. What happens when you scratch the card is simply for entertainment value. The tension that you feel before scratching is genuine; however, the randomness of the outcome does not happen in real time.
RTP & Odds — What You Actually Need to Know
RTP (Return to Player) is the percentage of money that is paid back to players compared to the total amount of money wagered. For example, a game with a 95% RTP will pay back £95 for every £100 wagered on the game. This percentage is calculated over millions of games.
What RTP Does Not Tell You
The RTP of a game does not tell players several things about that game:
- It does not describe the outcome of any one game. For example, you might win 150% of your money after 50 games, or you might not win any money at all. The RTP applies to millions of games, not individual games.
- It does not tell you the outcome of the next game you play. For example, if you have lost 10 games in a row, the odds of winning the next game are exactly the same as winning any other game.
- It is a theoretical percentage; therefore, it is not guaranteed. For example, the online casino will not pay you 95p for every pound that you wager. However, the house edge means that the total amount of money that players wager will be less than the total amount paid to winning players.
Typical RTP Ranges for Instant Win Games
| Format | Typical RTP Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online Scratch Cards | 92%–97% | Generally higher RTP than physical lottery scratch-offs |
| Online Keno | 70%–90% | Wide range — check each game's published RTP |
| Pull Tab Games | 88%–95% | Less transparent RTP disclosure on average |
| Physical Lottery Scratch-Offs | 55%–70% | Significantly lower than online equivalents |
See the Highest RTP Scratch Cards
Our data-driven ranking of instant win games by their RTP.
Online Instant Win Games vs Lottery Scratch-Offs
The lottery scratch cards that you play at newsagent shops and online stores have the same name as online instant win games. However, the two types of games are totally different.
| Online Instant Win | Physical Scratch-Off | |
|---|---|---|
| RTP | 92%–97% | 55%–70% |
| RNG Certification | Certified by independent lab | Regulated by lottery authority — different standards |
| Prize Pool | Not fixed — new games generated per round | Fixed — prize pool is set per print run |
| Jackpot availability | Top prize always available | Can run out mid-print-run |
| Minimum stake | From £0.10–£1.00 typically | Fixed face value (£1, £2, £5, etc.) |
| Payout speed | Instant to account | Varies — small prizes at retailer, large prizes by post/centre |
The RTP percentage of lottery scratch cards is significantly lower than that of online scratch cards. For example, lotteries pay out between 55% and 65% of the money that they take in from scratch card tickets. However, online scratch cards such as those from Pragmatic Play pay out 94% to 96.5% of the money that players stake on them.
Who Makes Online Instant Win Games
A few software providers license and make online instant win games. Depending on the provider of the game, the payout percentages and availability of the game will change.
- Pragmatic Play is the largest scratch card provider and makes games available at licensed casinos around the world. We have reviewed 8 of their best scratch card games.
- Playtech makes great scratch card games such as the Cash Collect and Hot Gems Xtreme series. However, they mostly license their games to UK and European based online casinos.
- IGT is one of the oldest and largest online and lottery game providers. They have years of experience licensing games to lotteries.
- Scientific Games and Light & Wonder also license many games to lotteries when they are physically present. Their online games are licensed to many online US casinos.
- Games Global and Microgaming have fewer online scratch card games. However, their games are licensed to the majority of online casinos around the world.
Browse the Best Scratch Cards
All the instant win games that we have reviewed and tested, ranked by their RTP, max prize and gameplay quality.
Where to Play Instant Win Games
Instant win games are available at most online casinos that are licensed to offer casino games.
When you play online scratch cards, make sure that:
- The website features a valid gambling licence
- It offers a wide variety of instant win games from multiple providers
- It offers scratch card bonuses for new players
- It offers generous withdrawal limits for players to access their winnings
Our Casino Rankings
Five of the best licensed online casinos to play scratch card games at, ranked by safety, variety of scratch card games and bonus value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are instant win games the same as scratch cards?
Yes, they are used interchangeably. Scratch cards are the most common type of instant win game. Therefore, all scratch card games are instant win games, but not all instant win games are scratch cards.
Are online instant win games fair?
Yes, they are. All licensed online scratch card games have their Random Number Generator certified by an independent testing agency. The certification states that the games are random and pay out at the percentage published by the website. See our complete guide on whether online scratch cards are rigged to learn more.
What is a good RTP for an instant win game?
For online scratch cards, a good RTP is one that pays out 95% or more of the money that players wager. Pragmatic Play pays out online scratch cards with RTPs of 96.5% to 97%. Any game with less than 92% RTP is considered to pay out below average. However, some players are happy with a lower RTP in exchange for a higher potential prize. See our RTP ranking guide for a full data table.
Can you win real money?
Yes, on licensed online casinos. Players win real money and can withdraw their winnings. However, make sure that you play at a licensed online casino and that your scratch card bonus covers scratch games.
Do strategies work on instant win games?
No, they do not. All scratch card games use a Random Number Generator to decide the outcome. The outcome does not change with the number of games that you play or how quickly you scratch. The only strategy is to play games with a higher RTP than others. See our scratch card tips guide for what actually matters.
