It is the 1970s, and counter-culture is at its peak. The established order is questioned regularly, with new methods and new technologies breaking out into public consciousness. John Koza, a computer scientist, is at the top of his game, having developed computerised systems for state lotteries that increased the randomization of numbers.
The lottery, however, is facing an identity crisis. The public have grown bored of the same old same old: buy a ticket, wait for the numbers to be announced, and then wait for the prizes to be awarded. John Koza decides it is time to inject some fresh blood into an old system.
It is the 1970s, and counter-culture is at its peak. The established order is questioned regularly, with new methods and new technologies breaking out into public consciousness. John Koza, a computer scientist, is at the top of his game, having developed computerised systems for state lotteries that increased the randomization of numbers.
The lottery, however, is facing an identity crisis. The public have grown bored of the same old same old: buy a ticket, wait for the numbers to be announced, and then wait for the prizes to be awarded. John Koza decides it is time to inject some fresh blood into an old system.
Basing the principle on the lottery system, the computer scientist altered one crucial element for his new invention - the waiting part. With the scratch card, people would no longer have to wait endlessly.
The prizes would be revealed instantly. Koza teamed up with expert retail promoter, Daniel Bower, to spread the word far and wide that a new kind of lottery had been born; one where you would know what you won the instant you scratched off the thin, silver veneer.
Scratch cards were going on nicely in their analogue paradise. People could buy them from just about anywhere, including the neighborhood grocery store, and win a surprise. Then came the internet.
At the beginning of the digital age, many wondered whether scratch cards would be able to break the virtual barrier. After all, the game had been invented in the 1970s. As it turned out, the simplicity of the concept allowed this popular form of gambling to take to the new medium like a fish to water. In fact, scratch cards have become that much more accessible with the internet now being available on our phones as well. All you have to do is log on to an online scratch card site or casino, search for the instant lottery tab, and click ‘play’. Everything else remains the same.
One of the advantages of an online scratch card is that you are firmly in charge of your own luck. You get to choose the amount you want to bet, and there are a number of options, starting from a low denominator. You also get to choose how and when you wish to increase the stakes. The template here is to try your luck with the lower-priced cards, and then work your way up to the big prizes.
The online revolution has meant that, much like video slots, there are jackpots on offer, as well as high payout percentages that touch the exalted figure of 90%.
With a regular scratch card, your chances of winning anything concrete hover around 1:6. Compare that number with the odds of 1:3 presented at an online casino, and you know for sure that you will walk away with something, more often than not. Even if it’s not actual money, scratch card winnings can be in the form of a freebie; it can also be some casino money that you can use to play at your favourite slot or table game. The best part is that, here too, there is no waiting period. Whatever you win with an online scratch card is instantly deposited into your casino account.
When we look at a scratch card, we do not see beyond a simple lottery ticket. There is, however, a lot of thought that has gone into making one. Think about it; no two scratch cards can have similar numbers, and we are talking about millions and millions of tickets spread around the globe. That is precisely why it took a computer scientist to invent the concept. The numbers, or patterns, need to be randomly generated. In other words, there are complex algorithms at play here.
It is easy to pin all of the popularity and success of scratch cards on the easy nature of the game. The truth is that the concept has evolved since the decade of the 70s, incorporating the current zeitgeist to keep the playing public interested. The game has become more than just a scratch and throw exercise, with big brands involved, such as Harley Davidson, NASCAR, and even the FIFA World Cup. Scratch cards have also tied up with the table-based games, such as blackjack, to give players even more variety when they scratch.
