Everybody loves them, everybody plays them, but not everybody knows how they started or where they came from. Generally thought of as a form of lottery, the scratch card is a relatively new way to gamble. Nonetheless, because of the ease and simplicity involved in using scratch cards, they have become one of the most popular forms of gambling around.

Scratch cards got their big start when various states in the United States started using them in their state lotteries in the 1980s. Scratch cards are used now in lotteries in countries around the world and have even made the transition to the Internet. For the uninitiated, scratch cards are pieces of cardboard printed with little squares covered by little bits of silver coating. What lies behind these scratchable surfaces is what stands between the player and a real-money prize.

Scratch cards are known by many names, including "scratch-off cards" and "scratch-and-win cards." Scratch cards have been used for many purposes in addition to national lotteries and in online casinos. Many charity organizations print and sell scratch cards for their own fundraising purposes. And private companies may use scratch cards as "come-ons," giving them away for free in magazines and other publications as an attractive introduction to their product.

Until recently, scratch cards were bought in grocery stores and other points of sale in which lottery tickets could be purchased. They are the easiest and cheapest game of chance you can play. Online scratch cards are virtual versions of the cards you buy at your local store or kiosk - they are a neater and faster version of a favorite gambling game. But there's nothing virtual about the money you can win playing scratch card online.

Lotteries have been around for ages - keno, for instance, is a version of the lottery dating back to ancient China. Scratch cards are a more modern form of the lottery. But whereas traditional lotteries usually involved waiting (on line to buy your ticket and then for weeks until the actual draw occurs), scratch cards offer instant gratification. All you have to do is buy a card, scratch off the top layer, reveal the amounts or symbols beneath the coating, and you can instantly tell if you have a winning scratch card.

Online scratch cards are a relatively recent addition to the Internet gambling scene but the leap to the Internet was a logical transition for this instant lottery. Since gambling online is all about convenience and ease, it makes sense that scratch cards would be offered in online casinos since Internet gambling sites offer the easiest and most convenient form of gambling you can imagine. Play scratch cards online at home and you can avoid the lines at the store and the waiting time of real lotteries. Online scratch cards also have high prizes. All the great graphics that are associated with online gambling are not spared on online scratch cards - they have colorful displays and exciting themes that only add to the online scratch card excitement. Today, thousands of people believe that the best scratch card is the online scratch card.