The odds of actually winning on a scratchcard revealed – and how to boost your chances

FEELING lucky? Choosing the right scratchcard could see you bag a huge jackpot - and we reveal the most common winners.

The National Lottery launched its first instant win scratchcard in 1995 and they can now be bought in more than 40,000 shops across the UK.

For as little as £1, you can win thousands of pounds instantly and for a fiver, you could be in with the chance of becoming a millionaire.

The odds of winning any prize at all on a scratchcard is usually around one in four, meaning the chance you'll win the top prize is even slimmer.

Odds show how likely you are to win any particular prize - the lower the number, the better the odds.

For example, odds of 1 in 10 are better than odds of 1 in 100 or 1 in 1,000.

But is there a way to improve your chances of winning?

Some might swear by their lucky pants, or using a lucky penny, but simply choosing a different scratchcard could be the key to bagging a win.

And luckily, there's a handy way to check the odds.

Smart Scratchcard, a website helps people understand the odds, uses an algorithm to give a rating out of 100 on the scratchcards - it takes into account factors such as the price of the card and whether the top prize is still available to be won.

Anyone can go on to the website and search, for free, through different scratch cards.

It can help you sniff out the ones where the top prizes are still available.

As well as giving you the odds on getting the top prize, the site tells you how many prizes are left, and the chance of scoring one of the smaller prizes too.

You have a far better chance of scooping a jackpot on games with a large number of top prizes left.

You can also search by price, depending on whether you fancy splashing some cash or buying a more budget option.

A spokesperson from Allwyn, the National Lottery's operator, said: "We offer a wide range of in-store Scratchcards – all with different prices, top prizes and themes.

"Ranging from £1 to £5 and featuring top prizes from £100 up to £2million, they cover a range of motifs and play styles.

"All of this ensures that our product range remains fresh and appealing."

The scratchcards with the best odds

When we checked, the £5 Snack Stack National Lottery scratchcard has the best overall rating on the site at 99/100.

Your odds of winning at least some money back are one in 3.49 -  though this could be a small prize.

The top prize is £1million and all four cards that could see you bag the jackpot are up for grabs.

Despite all prizes being available, your odds of bagging it are just 35 in 2,432,550.

A higher algorithm rating doesn't necessarily mean that you're more likely to win the top jackpot though - it just means it's the best score based on all the factors considered.

For example, the £1 Blazin' 7s scratchcard algorithm rating is just 16/100 - but you have fairly decent odds of winning the top prize of £7,000.

Plus, all five of the top prize, which is worth £7,000, are still on the market and it costs just £1.

The £100,000 a month for a year scratchcard, which costs a fiver, is the best card to buy based on odds alone.

You have a one in three chance of winning any price, which range from £5 to a total of £1,200,000.

The scrathcard with the best chance of a return for the player is the £100,000 A Month For A Year, which costs £5.

In gambling terms, this is the amount of money you can expect to receive from your bet if your prediction turns out to be correct.

If you pick up this card, you have a 70.95% chance of getting a return.

Meanwhile, your odds of getting a top prize are just two in 5,614,524.

The scratchcards with the worst odds

The £1 Money Multiplier and £3 Mega Multiplier both have a 0/100 algorithm rating.

This is because none of the top prizes on these scratchcards are still up for grabs.

Will Love, who created the website, previously told The Sun that scratchcards can still be sold even if the top prize has already been won.

On the Money Tree Multiplier, you still have a 1 in 4.18 chance of winning any prize other than the jackpot.

While the Mega Multiplier has slightly better odds at 1 in 3.69.

The scratchard with the worst odds is £100,000 red, which costs £1.

Your odds of winning any price is 1 in 4.26, with the lowest prize being just a quid.

An Allwyn spokesperson said: "There are no guarantees and we don’t want players spending more than they can afford."

The Sun has previously revealed your odds of actually winning the lottery and your chance of scooping the jackpot.

Crucially, you should always gamble responsibly and never bet more money than you can afford to lose.