QUIRKY FACTS YOU NEVER KNEW

■ SCRATCH cards were first introduced in the U.S. in 1974.

■ THEY were created by computer scientist John Koza and retail promoter Daniel Bower.

■ AT THE time, the pair noticed that with state lotteries there was a week’s delay in finding out if you had the winning numbers on your ticket. They felt that an ‘instant win’ alternative would prove popular.

■ SCRATCH cards did not make it to the UK until 1995, some 20 years later.

■ THE scratch-off panels are made with liquid latex, which can be rubbed away after drying.

■ MORE than 40,000 shops in the UK sell scratch cards. You can even add one to your online grocery shop with Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.