Some people think scratch cards are a waste of money, just a way for the government to swindle a few extra quid out of the working class.
But every now and then, someone defies the odds and walks away with a life-changing amount of cash.
Let's take a look at 13 of the biggest scratch card winners in history - I can hardly believe these stories myself!
Moving over first to the US, we have Deborah Kempel from San Antonio, Texas, who won a $7.5 million scratch card prize in 2021.
Deborah's winning ticket was from the Diamond Dollars game, and when she realized she'd hit the jackpot, she made the smart decision to try to keep a low profile.
Unlike some other winners who revel in the spotlight, Deborah wanted to stay out of the media frenzy as much as possible and quietly enjoy her winnings. I can definitely understand the appeal of that approach.
If I ever won millions on a scratch card, the last thing I'd want is constant attention and paparazzi following me around. Kudos to Deborah for prioritizing her privacy and peace of mind. Although I have to admit, I'd still be tempted to treat myself to a flashy new sports car or two!
Speaking of lightning striking twice, Robert Stewart from New Jersey took things to the next level in 2018.
On a single day, this guy managed to win three scratch card prizes, including a jaw-dropping $5 million jackpot!
The $5 Million Fortune game he played is the most expensive scratch card in New Jersey, costing a whopping $30 per ticket.
But Robert clearly felt it was worth it, following up his $5 million win with an additional $500 and $100 prizes later that same day. I can barely wrap my head around winning a few bucks on a scratch card, let alone millions.
If I ever won that kind of cash, I think I'd need to lie down in a dark room for a few days just to process it all. Robert, on the other hand, just kept on scratching and winning - what an absolute legend.
I've got to start with Amadou Gillen, who holds the record for the biggest-ever scratch card win in the UK.
In 2016, Amadou, a pub kitchen manager, was on his lunch break when he popped out to buy some cigarettes. On a whim, he also grabbed two £10 scratch cards.
The first one netted him a modest £20 win, but the second revealed a jaw-dropping £4 MILLION jackpot!
Amadou said he knew right away he'd hit the big one, but he stayed calm, finished his shift, and then rushed home to share the news with his family.
That's one way to start your new year - Amadou got married in Sweden shortly after his life-changing win. I wonder if his new spouse is as lucky at the lottery as he is.
They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but that old saying definitely doesn't apply to Mark Clark from Michigan.
This truck driver managed to win the $4 million top prize on a scratch card not once, but twice! His first massive win came in 2017, and after retiring from his job, Mark continued to play the lottery regularly.
Then in 2020, he somehow managed to strike gold again, scooping another $4 million jackpot. I don't know whether to be impressed or utterly bewildered - how does one person get that lucky, not just once, but twice?!
If I won the lottery even once, I'd probably never play again out of sheer superstition. But not Mark - this guy must have a horseshoe lodged firmly up you-know-where.
We have the story of Ross Hearst, a Northern Irish road worker who started 2016 with an absolutely massive bang.
On New Year's Day, Ross bought a £10 Million Blue scratch card and ended up winning a staggering £4 million jackpot.
The win came at the perfect time, as Ross and his wife Jocelyn were expecting their first child. After the initial shock wore off, Ross said he planned to buy a new car and get his wife a Dyson vacuum cleaner (practical priorities, I see).
But he also insisted the money wouldn't change them too much - they just wanted to enjoy their newfound wealth responsibly.
If I had suddenly become a multimillionaire, I'm not sure I'd be able to resist the urge to splurge on a few fancy toys. But good on Ross and Jocelyn for keeping a level head!
Let's talk about Melissa Ede, the taxi driver from the UK who made headlines in 2017 when she won a record-breaking £4 million on a £10 scratch card.
Melissa had quite the colorful history before her big win - she was known for being a regular on TV shows like Judge Rinder and had documented her gender reassignment journey on her YouTube channel.
So when this larger-than-life personality suddenly became a multi-millionaire, it was national news.
Tragically, Melissa's time as a scratch card millionaire was cut tragically short - she passed away suddenly of a heart attack just a few months after her life-changing win, at the young age of 58.
It's a devastating end to what should have been Melissa's chance to truly enjoy her wealth and newfound freedom.
Her story is a poignant reminder that you really can't take anything for granted, no matter how much money you have.
Another winner is Susan Richards, a carer who won a whopping £3 million on a scratch card she bought on her way home from a 12-hour shift.
Talk about perfect timing!
Susan was planning to just head straight home, but on a whim she stopped at the supermarket - and that spur-of-the-moment decision changed her life forever.
After verifying the win, one of Susan's first plans was to take a dream holiday to the US in memory of her late father.
I don't know about you, but if I worked a brutal 12-hour shift and then won millions on the way home, I'd be booking a one-way ticket to the Bahamas and never looking back!
Not all scratch card winners set out to get rich, though. Glenda Blackwell from North Carolina had a completely different motivation when she bought her fateful ticket.
Glenda was actually irritated with her husband for wasting money on the lottery, so she decided to buy a scratch card just to prove him wrong. Well, that backfired spectacularly when Glenda's ticket revealed a $1 million prize!
Glenda says she "was going to be ugly" and shows her husband the card didn't win, but instead, ended up eating some very humble pie. I can just imagine the look on her face when she realized she'd become an instant millionaire.
At least the money helped settle the couple's disagreement - they used the winnings to buy some land and a new home. I bet Glenda's husband hasn't complained about the lottery since!
Our next winner, Audrey White, is a perfect example of how even the smallest mistakes can lead to life-changing outcomes.
Audrey had only meant to buy a £2 scratch card, but the shopkeeper accidentally gave her a £5 one instead. Little did anyone know that this little mix-up would turn Audrey into a millionaire!
When she scratched the card that evening, Audrey was stunned to see the words "1 Mil" revealed.
It took her a while to fully comprehend that she had just won £1 million on a card she hadn't even intended to buy.
I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think I need to pay more attention when I'm making purchases - you never know when a simple error might pay off in the biggest way!
Next up is Grace Walker, a Scottish housewife who won £1 million on a scratch card purely based on her favorite color.
Grace said she chose the pink card because it matched her favorite hue, and lo and behold, that simple decision made her a millionaire.
Despite her windfall, Grace and her husband William vowed to stay in their modest council house that they've called home for over 30 years.
Maybe I should start basing my lottery purchases on color schemes instead of trying to "beat the odds" - Grace certainly proved that simple can be best when it comes to scratch cards.
Bride-to-be Jackie Murphy is another UK jackpot winner, scooping £1 million on a scratch card she bought after a long day at work.
When Jackie scratched the card and saw the seven-figure prize, she had to get the shopkeeper to verify it - I bet she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her!
Instead of splashing the cash on an over-the-top wedding, Jackie and her partner of 10 years decided to keep things simple, just providing a free bar for their guests.
That's my kind of party! If I win the lottery, the first thing I'm doing is rounding up all my mates for a massive celebration.
Some people have all the luck, and bartender Lewis Rider is one of them. He won £1 million on a spur-of-the-moment scratch card purchase while out buying food for his dog.
After the initial shock wore off, Lewis said he planned to invest in property and take the family on a nice holiday.
But ol' Lewis couldn't just enjoy his windfall quietly - he also made headlines for getting kicked out of an auction where he was trying to buy $20,000 worth of Arnold Schwarzenegger memorabilia.
Apparently, the security guards thought he was too drunk to meet his Terminator idol. I guess even millionaires can't avoid embarrassing themselves sometimes!
Our final story takes us back to the US, where we have the most unique scratch card win of all. In this case, the "prize" wasn't even cash - it was an oversized novelty scratch card measuring over 33 feet tall and 18 feet wide!
The lucky winner, Norman Blanchette, had to be lifted up on a special scissor lift just to reach the card and scratch off his numbers.
Unfortunately, Norman didn't become an instant millionaire. His massive scratch card only awarded him a VIP race weekend at the Sylvania Speedway. Still, it's an absolutely wild story and a Guinness World Record to boot!
I can just imagine Norman's face when he realized the sheer scale of the card he was about to scratch. Even if the prize wasn't millions, I bet he still had an incredible time living out his racing dreams. Talk about an unforgettable lottery experience.
These stories really go to show that you can't predict when lightning is going to strike. One minute you're an ordinary person going about your day, and the next you're a millionaire!
While the odds of winning these massive scratch card jackpots are astronomically low, these lucky winners prove it's not completely impossible.
Maybe I should go buy a few more tickets - you never know, I could be the next person with an extra few million in the bank!
