The online lottery is becoming increasingly popular, giving millions of people the opportunity to play and win big without leaving the comfort of their homes or offices. The lottery is a multi-billion dollar industry and a major source of revenue for state governments. It also supports a wide range of programs, including educational opportunities and social services. While lottery games are not available in all states, 45 US states, Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands offer some kind of online lottery game.
Online lotteries allow players to purchase tickets for state and national lotteries from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. These sites have been designed with player safety in mind and use secure connections to protect players’ personal information. They also feature a variety of payment options including credit cards, debit cards and ACH/eChecks. Most of these websites are licensed and regulated by reputable gaming authorities.
Some of these online lotteries offer real money prizes and are operated by official state or country lotteries. Others operate as independent bookmakers and accept bets on the outcome of popular lotteries around the world. In these cases, the site acts as a broker, purchasing official state and international lottery tickets for you. They may charge a small fee for this service, but will usually not impose additional fees if you win.
While some lotteries have different ways to cash in winnings, most require you to present a claim form and ID documents. You can normally cash in small winnings at the retail location where you purchased your ticket, and larger amounts are typically deposited into your bank account. If you are a big winner, your local lottery office will handle the details of your claim.
New Hampshire — The NH Lottery was established in 1964 and features multiple draw games as well as scratch-off games. The NH Lottery is the oldest state lottery and one-fourth of its revenue goes to education.
Michigan — The Michigan Lottery offers a variety of online lottery games. They include daily lottery games, jackpot games and instant games. The website also allows you to view previous drawings and results. The website also provides promotions and player-friendly features like a search bar.
Illinois — The Illinois Lottery first offered online lottery sales in March 2012. The site is subscription-based, and you must be a resident of the state and 18 years old to play. Players must sign up for an account and verify their identity before making purchases.
Virginia — The state’s iLottery online lottery platform was launched in May 2018. It offers a selection of instant games. It also features a version of Keno that’s similar to the real thing. The iLottery app is free to download and requires iOS 8.0 or later.
Pennsylvania — In May 2018, Pennsylvania’s iLottery website went live. The website offers a range of games, including the Powerball and Mega Millions. It also offers a keno-style game called iKeno and an instant win games titled iLotto.