Can Scratch Cards Go Out Of Date?

A question I often get asked is ‘Can Scratch Cards Go Out Of Date?’ It sounds a little silly when you say it, but the answer will surprise you.

Of course, the cards don’t go off like a pint of milk sat in the hot sun. Having said that, most scratchcards purchased in the UK will have an expiry date on them. This is to limit the amount of time a player has to claim a prize. So how long do you have to redeem a scratch card prize? It all depends on the particular game card you’ve purchased.

Typically you’ll have around 5 – 6 months to claim any wins on the cards you’ve purchased. The National Lottery website advises “Prizes must be claimed before the end of the 180th day after the closing date of the relevant game (or within any other period of time Camelot states in the Game Procedures.

To find out exactly how long you’ve got left to claim your prize, you’ll need to know when your specific scratch card game officially ends. It’s relatively easy to find this information if you know where to look – and I do! You can view all the closed UK National Lottery scratch cards here. Plus you can see the expiry dates of the games and also (more importantly) the last dates you can claim your prize. Handy! I know, you’re welcome.

Remember, prizes up to and including £100 can be claimed in cash from any participating National Lottery retailer. Anything more than this amount and you’ll usually have to contact Camelot to get paid out. Nice problem to have – Lucky YOU!

It worth pointing out that online scratch cards don’t have this problem. Cash prizes are usually paid into your Casino or Betting account instantly. Although, you might have a wait to withdraw them back into your bank account, especially true if you win a significant amount like the ‘Jackpot King‘ game offers. If you’re interested in try online scratch card games, Jackpot Joy has a good selection of games to choose from; card prices start from just 10p, and a welcome offer is available to new customers.