Introduction

The following information on pull-tabs is based on pull-tabs purchased and information gathered at a pull-tab store near the airport in Anchorage, Alaska.

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A pull-tab could loosely be compared to a scratch-off lottery ticket, in that both usually cost $1, are instantly resolved by the player, and a portion of the purchase price goes towards state-run projects or charities. I was told that 30% of net profits (gross receipts less cashout from winning pull-tabs and taxes) is supposed to go towards Alaska charities.

• Tonight, Pull Tabs could pay your tab. Take your night to the next level with the simple fun of Pull Tabs. Available at most local bars and pubs in BC, Pull Tabs give you the chance to win quick cash for only 50¢ or $1 per ticket.
• Pull tabs (or break opens) are similar to lottery tickets, but they are made from two layers of poster board, glued together with die cut “windows”” which snap open to show symbols or numbers. Playing pull tabs during bingo sessions or in between sessions is a great way to add extra excitement and fun.

There are two primary differences between lottery tickets and pull-tabs. First, on a lottery ticket you scratch the card to see what you won, whereas on a pull-tab you pull up flaps on the card. Second, pull-tabs are printed in batches of about 3,000 to 10,000, with a specified number of each possible prize per batch.

In Alaska, pull-tab stores can be found in some small strip malls. The store will have lots of bins from which to choose. A bin does not have to run empty before a new batch of pull-tabs is added to it. So the only information you are likely to get about the number of winners from a batch left in a bin would be based on your own purchases.

The way it works is the customer will tell the agent which kind he wishes to buy and how many. There is a counter and stools for the convenience of players. At the location by the Anchorage airport (on Spenard Rd. and Wisconsin St.) a bulletin board showed small posters of the various games, including the number of pull-tabs in each batch.

Pull Tab Casino Tipping

Most pull-tabs show the possible prizes, and the number of each prize per batch. Armed with that information, and the number per batch from the posters, it was very easy to calculate the return of each kind of game. The rest of this page shows the return for ten different games. There were some pull-tabs (namely Players Choice and Alaska State Wide) that I tried that did not indicate the possible prizes, nor the number printed per batch and they are omitted from this page.

Alaskan Oasis

Alaskan Oasis Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
302	5	0.001116	0.337054
202	2	0.000446	0.090179
102	5	0.001116	0.113839
52	5	0.001116	0.058036
5	20	0.004464	0.022321
1	700	0.156250	0.156250
0	3743	0.835491	0.000000
Total	4480	1.000000	0.777679

Big Ass Game

Big Ass Game Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
300	8	0.001253	0.375940
100	2	0.000313	0.031328
50	6	0.000940	0.046992
25	20	0.003133	0.078321
4	12	0.001880	0.007519
2	30	0.004699	0.009398
1	1375	0.215382	0.215382
0	4931	0.772400	0.000000
Total	6384	1.000000	0.764881

Cash Dash

Cash Dash Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
300	6	0.000938	0.281250
100	2	0.000313	0.031250
25	6	0.000938	0.023438
5	50	0.007813	0.039063
2	10	0.001563	0.003125
1	1300	0.203125	0.203125
0	5026	0.785313	0.000000
Total	6400	1.000000	0.581250

Happy Hog

The cost of Happy Hog tickets is 25¢ each. The return column is the product of the win, probability, and 4, to show the expected return is 71.43% of money bet.

Happy Hog Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
500	2	0.000105	0.210084
100	3	0.000158	0.063025
50	4	0.000210	0.042017
10	20	0.001050	0.042017
1	400	0.021008	0.084034
0.25	5200	0.273109	0.273109
0	13411	0.704359	0.000000
Total	19040	1.000000	0.714286

Kings & Silvers

Kings & Silvers Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
200	10	0.001689	0.337838
100	10	0.001689	0.168919
50	5	0.000845	0.042230
20	5	0.000845	0.016892
4	20	0.003378	0.013514
2	20	0.003378	0.006757
1	1000	0.168919	0.168919
0	4850	0.819257	0.000000
Total	5920	1.000000	0.755068

Loon a Tick

Loon a Tick Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
300	8	0.001333	0.400000
100	4	0.000667	0.066667
20	12	0.002000	0.040000
5	8	0.001333	0.006667
2	120	0.020000	0.040000
1	1000	0.166667	0.166667
0	4848	0.808000	0.000000
Total	6000	1.000000	0.720000

Moose on the Loose

Moose on the Loose Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
300	8	0.001418	0.425532
100	4	0.000709	0.070922
20	12	0.002128	0.042553
5	20	0.003546	0.017730
2	40	0.007092	0.014184
1	1000	0.177305	0.177305
0	4556	0.807801	0.000000
Total	5640	1.000000	0.748227

Royal Stud

Royal Stud Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
150	12	0.003774	0.566038
25	8	0.002516	0.062893
10	12	0.003774	0.037736
5	12	0.003774	0.018868
3	20	0.006289	0.018868
2	32	0.010063	0.020126
1	96	0.030189	0.030189
0	2988	0.939623	0.000000
Total	3180	1.000000	0.754717

Slottery

The cost of Slottery tickets is 50¢ each. The return column is the product of the win, probability, and 2, to show the expected return is 72.09% of money bet.

Slottery Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
235	4	0.000402	0.188755
100	4	0.000402	0.080321
25	4	0.000402	0.020080
15	8	0.000803	0.024096
10	12	0.001205	0.024096
5	24	0.002410	0.024096
2	60	0.006024	0.024096
1	100	0.010040	0.020080
0.5	3140	0.315261	0.315261
0	6604	0.663052	0.000000
Total	9960	1.000000	0.720884

War Chest

War Chest Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
300	6	0.000938	0.281250
100	2	0.000313	0.031250
25	6	0.000938	0.023438
5	50	0.007813	0.039063
2	10	0.001563	0.003125
1	1300	0.203125	0.203125
0	5026	0.785313	0.000000
Total	6400	1.000000	0.581250

Zig Zag

Zig Zag Return Table

Win	Number per Batch	Probability	Return
100	24	0.006316	0.631579
10	16	0.004211	0.042105
1	400	0.105263	0.105263
0	3360	0.884211	0.000000
Total	3800	1.000000	0.778947

Summary

The good news about Alaska pull-tabs is that most of them are a significantly better bet than the lottery tickets in the lower 48 states. The bad news is they are still a lousy bet compared to most forms of casino gambling. The following table shows the return of each game tested, in alphabetical order.

Alaska Pull-Tab Summary

Game	Return
Alaskan Oasis	0.777679
Big Ass Game	0.764881
Cash Dash	0.581250
Happy Hog	0.714286
Kings & Silvers	0.755068
Loon a Tick	0.720000
Moose on the Loose	0.748227
Royal Stud	0.754717
Slottery	0.720884
War Chest	0.581250
Zig Zag	0.778947

If you must play, my advice is to seek out the pull-tabs with the highest return. Of the ten I tested the best is Zig Zag at 77.89%. Note how most of them pay between 72% and 78%. The exceptions are Cash Dash and War Chest, which are significantly less at 58.13% each. Why these two games return significantly less, I have no idea. I note another thing they have in common, which the other cards don't: they were made by Specialty Mfg.

There is also an effect of non-replacement with pull-tabs. If you buy some pull-tabs of the same kind, and your results are less than expectations, then it would be likely that the pull-tabs in the rest of the bin should exceed expectations. To very marginally increase your expected return, buy tickets of a given kind one at a time until your actual results exceed expectations, and then stop. However, you could end up buying hundreds, or thousands of tickets, employing this strategy. More practical advice would be to buy as few as you need to have some fun, and then leave.

I questioned someone named Barbara by phone with the Alaska Department of Revenue who said on average pull-tabs return 78%, but there is no minimum or maximum required, in favor of letting the free market determine the odds.

Pull Tabs Casino

Written by:Michael Shackleford

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BC Casino is the $1 Pull Tab introduced in 1994. This ticket remains one of our most popular games because of its great prizes! Prizes on this ticket range from $1 to $500 with 9 different prize levels available.

Overall odds to win a prize on a $1 - B.C. Casino are 1:9.00

Prizes Table

Prize Level	Odds 1:9.00
$500	3,600.00
$400	3,600.00
$300	3,600.00
$200	3,600.00
$150	3,600.00
$100	3,600.00
$50	1,800.00
$10	1,800.00
$1	9.23