Do Scratch Cards Expire? UK Rules, Deadlines and Unclaimed Prizes

Quick answer: Yes. Scratchcards are sold as a finite game with a closing date, and every prize has a claim deadline. National Lottery scratchcard prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the game's closing date. After that the prize is gone, so check the closing date before you put a card in a drawer.

Key takeaways

• A scratchcard game closes when its top prizes are claimed or when it reaches its published end date.
• The claim window runs from the closing date, not from the day you bought the card.
• National Lottery scratchcards give you 180 days from closure to claim, and unclaimed prizes go to Good Causes.
• Online instant win games usually credit winnings automatically, so the expiry risk sits with physical tickets.

A scratch card you forgot about is money you have already spent. If you play online, prizes land in your account instead of a drawer, and new MrRaffle players can claim free tickets to start.

Why scratchcards expire

A scratchcard looks like a product on a shelf, but it is really a ticket in a finite game. The game has a fixed prize pool and a planned life. When the pool is used, or when the planned life ends, the game closes.

Two things follow from that:

• The card stops being sold. Once a game closes, retailers return or destroy remaining stock, and the game disappears from the operator's site.
• A deadline starts for claims. Anyone holding an unscratched or unclaimed winning card has a set window to claim. Miss it and the prize is no longer payable.

That is not a quirk of one operator. It is how closed-loop instant games work, and it is why the closing date matters as much as the prize on the front. Before a game closes, the remaining prizes table tells you how much of the pool is left, which is covered in scratchcards with prizes left.

When does a scratchcard game close?

There are three common triggers:

1. The last top prize is claimed. Many games are built to end when the headline prize has gone. The operator publishes a closure date once that happens.
2. The planned end date arrives. Some games run to a fixed date regardless of what is left.
3. The operator withdraws the game. Rare, but it happens when a game is replaced or a range is refreshed.

The National Lottery publishes a game closures page listing scratchcards that have closed or are closing. If a card you are holding appears there, the clock has started.

How long do you have to claim?

For National Lottery scratchcards, you have 180 days from the game's closing date to claim a prize. The window is the same whether the card cost £1 or £20, and it does not depend on when you bought it.

For other UK operators, the window is set in their own terms. Online instant win games usually credit winnings to your account automatically, which removes the claim step but not the need to keep the account active and check it.

Two practical rules:

• Check the game's own rules. The card, the game page or the operator's terms will state the deadline. Read the one that applies to the card in your hand, not a general guide.
• Do not wait for the deadline. A claim made on day 175 depends on post, processing and proof. A claim made in the week you win does not.

What happens to unclaimed scratchcard prizes?

For National Lottery scratchcards, unclaimed prizes go to Good Causes, the same fund that receives the lottery's charitable contribution. The money is not redistributed to other players and it does not roll into another game.

For commercial operators, unclaimed prizes are dealt with under their terms, which usually means the prize returns to the operator after the claim window. That is one reason to read the terms before playing a game you are unfamiliar with.

Either way, the deadline is real. There is no discretionary fund that pays out after the window closes.

Do online scratch cards expire?

The game expires, but the claim problem mostly disappears. The mechanics are the same as any instant game, explained in how online scratch cards work.

• Winnings are credited automatically. When an online instant game resolves, the prize lands in your account balance, so there is no ticket to lose and no form to post.
• The game still closes. Once the prize pool is used or the end date passes, the game is removed and cannot be played again.
• Your account still matters. If you close your account with a balance or an unresolved prize, contact support. Terms usually set out how balances are handled.

So the expiry risk is concentrated in physical cards: bought, put in a coat pocket, found months later, past the deadline.

How to check whether your card is still live

Four checks, in this order:

1. Find the game name. It is printed on the front of the card. This is the only identifier that matters.
2. Search the operator's closures list. If the game is there, note the closing date.
3. Open the game page. Still live means still on sale. Removed means closed, and the closure list gives the date.
4. Count the days. If you are inside the claim window, claim now rather than later.

If the card is not a National Lottery card, use the operator named on it. The rules travel with the game, not with the shop that sold it.

What if you lose or damage a ticket?

Lost tickets cannot be replaced, and an unscratched card has no owner until someone scratches it. That is the hard truth of physical scratchcards.

Damaged tickets are assessed case by case. Operators generally ask you to send the card in, and a partial or unreadable ticket may be refused. If the damage happened before you scratched it, keep the packaging and contact the operator straight away rather than scratching further.

The simplest protection is not to hold physical cards for long. Scratch them, check them, and claim anything that wins.

Frequently asked questions

Do scratch cards expire if you never scratch them?

Yes. The claim window runs from the game's closing date, not from the day you bought the card, so an unscratched card can become worthless while it sits in a drawer.

How long do you have to claim a National Lottery scratchcard prize?

180 days from the game's closing date. Check the game page or the closures list for that date, and claim as soon as you know you have a winner.

Can you still claim if the game has closed?

Yes, if you are inside the claim window. Closed means no longer on sale, not instantly void. Once the 180 days pass, the prize is no longer payable.

Do online scratch cards expire?

The game does, but winnings are credited to your account automatically when you play, so there is no claim deadline to miss. The game itself can still close and be removed.

What happens to prize money nobody claims?

For National Lottery scratchcards it goes to Good Causes. For other operators, the terms set out what happens, which usually means the prize returns to the operator.

Sources

• National Lottery Scratchcards, The National Lottery, accessed 18 October 2026
• National Lottery scratchcard game closures, The National Lottery, accessed 18 October 2026
• National Lottery: how to claim, The National Lottery, accessed 18 October 2026
• Instant win games, Gambling Commission, accessed 18 October 2026
• MrRaffle online scratch cards, accessed 18 October 2026

Play responsibly

MrRaffle is for UK residents aged 18 and over. Only play with money you can afford to spend, set a budget before you start, and take a break if it stops being fun.

If you play online, prizes go straight to your account instead of a ticket in a drawer. Claim free tickets as a new player and see the scratch cards and their prize lists.