Lottery, Bingo & Number Games
Scratchcard odds
The advertised chance of winning any prize on a scratchcard, typically shown as a fraction or a '1 in X' figure.
Key points
- Odds are set in advance by the game design and prize allocation, so they vary by game and prize tier.21
- A National Lottery example shows odds ranging from 1 in 11.2 for a £2 prize up to 1 in 10,000,000 for £500,000.2
Where this term is used
Related terms
Lottery & bingo
Lottery scratchcards
The physical or digital instant-win tickets whose odds are described on this page.
Lottery & bingo
Keno odds
The probabilities of matching numbers in a keno draw, which differ from predetermined scratchcard odds.
Lottery & bingo
Lottery jackpot odds
The chances of winning the top prize in a draw-based lottery, typically far longer than scratchcard odds.
Lottery & bingo
Lottery
A broad category of gambling that includes both draw-based games and instant-win scratchcards.
Lottery & bingo
Pick 3 lottery
A daily draw game where players choose three numbers, with odds that are fixed and known in advance.
Lottery & bingo
Jackpot lottery
A lottery game where the top prize can roll over, unlike scratchcards where the prize pool is fixed per batch.
Sources
- Lottery submissions guidance - Common terms and ... gamblingcommission.gov.uk Defines scratchcards as instant-win lotteries and explains how odds are set.
- National Lottery (United Kingdom) en.wikipedia.org Provides specific examples of scratchcard odds for National Lottery games.
- Scratchcard en.wikipedia.org Gives the typical range of overall winning odds for scratchcards.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.