Genie Answers:
Online scratch cards have no time limits. When playing online, your winnings will, for the majority of platforms, be deposited immediately to your account if they are less than a specific amount. Physical scratchcards, however, do have expiration dates. Physical scratch cards often remain in circulation for nine months. However, this is only a generalization, and it can vary greatly. Even after the game has ended, most lotteries, including the National Lottery, give you up to 180 days to collect your reward. Since each lottery has its own set of deadlines and regulations, you’ll need to make sure you check carefully. Join us as we take a closer look at how and why scratchcards expire.
Why Do Scratch Cards Expire?
So, why do scratch cards expire? Well, there are many reasons. The National Lottery often divides them into three categories: Category A, Category B, and Category C. The final group includes those with jackpots of £121,000 or more, and games are terminated when all of the jackpots are taken. While Category A games often have jackpots under £121,000, they won't be shut down once all of the jackpots have been won because there will still be a tonne of worthwhile prizes available.
The fact that all scratch cards are sold by merchants is another major factor in why they frequently expire. After this has occurred, the cards will no longer be valid for whatever reason, hence an expiration date will be added. The good news is that the date is not imminent; we'll go into more depth on this later. Instead, those who purchased a scratch card with a winning sum on it have plenty of time to get them into a store or to the lottery itself in order to collect their wins, albeit this does not mean that you can afford to take your time.
When Does a Scratch Card Expire?
Now, this is one of the drawbacks of physical scratchcards, because they don’t actually list their expiry date on the card. Since the ending of the game (or the card's expiration date) is typically based on how quickly the winning prizes have been received, most lotteries opt to omit the printed end day.
You'll need to navigate to the scratch card provider's website rather than checking your card.
Here is a list of all of their games, along with the dates on which they expire. If your card does not appear on the list of expired cards, you can also see what games are still active on their website.
The likelihood is that the winning card you have expired if the game is not shown online or in the lotteries' list of expired cards. If you have any questions, get in touch with the lottery as soon as possible because most of them have a helpful crew available to answer them. While food expiration dates must be treated seriously, the good news is that scratch cards have greater latitude. Instead, it is helpful to consider that there are two dates: the closing date and the final day on which you can submit a prize claim. In other words, the company will declare a closing date for the scratch card, after which no more will be sold but prizes will still be available for 180 days.
Sign up and Play Online Scratch Cards at Spin Genie
So, while physical scratchcards will expire, online scratchcards do not. Here at Spin Genie we’re home to lots of great online scratchcards that you can play whenever and wherever you like (see terms). Sign up and play today and discover more.
