Online scratch cards are the Internet's version of the instant lottery you buy at your local store or kiosk. As with the paper version, players must scratch concealed areas of the ticket to reveal symbols and to see if they've won a prize.

The big difference between paper scratch cards and online scratch cards is that when you play online, you don't end up with the silver coating under your fingernails.

Because scratch cards are exciting - and easy to play - they're becoming more and more popular online. Like their paper-and-silver counterparts, online scratch cards are a quick and very simple form of gambling. To play, click on the Chip Selector to increase or decrease the size of your bet. Click on the Up or Down Arrow to choose the number of coins you want to bet. Pick a new card with the New Card button and the card is displayed on the screen.

To reveal what lies behind the virtual silver coating, click on Show Card and the whole card is "scratched" and displayed. Sometimes this is done using a 3D image of a coin or hand that the player controls with the movements of the mouse. Once all coated gaming areas have been exposed, any winning prize is revealed and that money is added to the player's account.

If your scratch card reveals a winning combination, the win will be highlighted on your screen - on the Payout Schedule. You win when 3 of the same symbols are displayed on the card. The amount you win is calculated by the value of the symbol multiplied by the amount of your bet. For instance, if you bet 4 coins and you are lucky enough to have 3 boxes with the 5X symbol, then you get 5 times your 4 coins, which is 20 coins.

Downloadable scratch cards - scratch card games that are enabled by software download.

Lotology - the hobby of collecting lottery-related items like lottery tickets and scratch cards.

Online scratch cards - the online version of lottery scratch cards that are made of paper and bought in stores.

Payout schedule - the chart that calculates your winnings based on your bet and the value of the symbols you have scratched off.

Web-based scratch cards - scratch cards that allow play without loading any software to the computer.