A pull-tab is a gambling ticket that is sold as a means to play a pulltab game. The object of the ticket is to open the perforated windows on the back of the ticket and match the symbols inside the ticket to the winning combinations on the front of the ticket. The winning Pull-Tab ticket is turned in for a monetary prize. Other names for it include Break-Opens, Nevada Tickets, Cherry Bells, Lucky 7s, Pickle Cards, Instant Bingo, Bowl Games, or Popp-Opens (Arrow International trademark).

 

The game manager operates the game by selling tickets and distributing cash prizes. The pull-tab tickets are multi-layered paper tickets containing symbols hidden behind perforated tabs. Several different games may be offered for sale at any one time; each may have different prices and payouts. Pull-tabs are typically sold for 25¢, 50¢, $1 and $2 and have prizes as high as $500.

 

Each ticket has two sides. One side lists the winning combinations of symbols, the cash payout for each combination, the number of tickets that contain each winning combination, and the total number of tickets in the game. This information is also posted in a large printed sheet called a flare.

 

The other side of the ticket contains the perforated tabs. After purchasing the ticket, the player pulls the perforated tabs to reveal their winnings, if any. Cash prizes may be claimed immediately.

 

In some states, no pull-tab game may offer a single prize higher than a certain amount and/or may not cost more than a certain amount. For instance, in Alaska, pull tabs cannot cost more than $2 per play, and no single prize can be more than $500.

 

Pull tab games are quite unique among wagering games in that each game, when new, has a predetermined quantity of tickets/chances, among which are a predetermined and fixed quantity of winning chances each of which rewards a predetermined prize value.