If you’re looking for a new type of fundraising game for your organization or charity, pull tab games provide people with an exciting way to win prizes and an opportunity for your group to raise money.
Pull tabs go by a variety of names; you may have heard them referred to as Break-Open Tickets, Lucky 7s, Bowl Games, Pickle Cards, Cherry Bells, Nevada Tickets, or Instant Bingo. No matter what they're called, the concept is the same: players pull open a perforated window (pull tab) on the back of the ticket to see if the symbols inside match one of the winning combinations on the front of the ticket.
The 6 Types of Pull Tab Games
1. Instant Win Games
When someone plays an instant win game and matches the symbols revealed within a pull tab with the winning symbols displayed on the front of the ticket, they’re instant winners. People love instant win games because they have very high payouts versus playing the lottery, they’re fun, and they require zero skill to play — just rip them open!
2. Jar Tickets
While jar tickets are a type of pull tab, they’re constructed in a different manner than a standard pull tab game. Jar tickets are frequently made of paper that’s folded and banded before being glued. They’re smaller than traditional pull tabs and typically don’t have room to list prizes. A flare card or point of sale promotional display will accompany jar tickets in order to provide players with a description of the game, as well as the winning payouts. Jar tickets can be sold individually or as ticket bundles.
3. Coinboard Games
This type of game gives players the chance to win coins or merchandise. A coinboard game is played exactly like any other type of pull tab game, but there are some key differences. First, the flare for coinboard games is larger and thicker to accommodate real silver and/or gold coins that are embedded inside it. Some of the winning tickets will feature color-coded numbers that correspond to these coins (as well as merchandise prizes), and players who win coins may also win additional cash prizes. Coinboard games add real variety to the pull tab lineup.
4. Seal Card Games
Seal card games also pay instant winners, but these tickets potentially feature sign-up numbers that give players an additional chance to win. The sign-up numbers correspond to a seal card that has a predetermined number of signature lines. After all of the tickets in a deal have been sold, the seal card is opened to reveal what number it contains. The player whose sign-up number matches that number wins the grand prize. These kinds of tickets tend to sell very quickly, as players win often and return to buy additional tickets.
5. Bingo Event Games
Bringing together the world of bingo and pull tab games, bingo event games feature various styles of event tickets. Event or Last Number-Called games feature tickets with one number on it (B1 through O75) and determine the winner according to the last number called in a designated bingo event game. Dab games feature event tickets with more than one bingo number on them; the winning player is the person who dabs all the numbers on their tickets during the designated bingo game. Meanwhile, Line or Horse Race games feature tickets with the same number combinations as the down-lines on a flashboard. Players win if they hold the ticket with the first-down-line completed in the designated bingo game. These are an excellent way to build excitement, as the winner isn’t announced until the very end of the game.
6. Cashboard Games
Cashboard games start with players buying tickets in hopes of matching the number on a small seal card. If they do, they advance to the next game — playing to match numbers on a larger dashboard where they select windows to win prizes that can range from $50 to $500.
For more information about what type of pull tab game would be ideal for fundraising for your organization, visit the Arrow International website. While you’re there, make sure to sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the latest in pull tabs and other charitable gaming solutions!
