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We totally get the allure of playing the lottery. Most of the time, it’s low-cost. And the potential rewards can be life-changing.
We’ve seen homeless people win the lottery and become millionaires. We’ve watched individuals become tycoons overnight with a single winning ticket. Some people have even won multiple times. It’s an exciting prospect.
But the typical process of buying a ticket can be time-consuming and inconvenient. Sure, most convenience stores sell them, but you have to physically be there and wait in line.
Fortunately, technology has made it much easier to play the lotto with online lotteries. In this article, we’ll give you the rundown on how it’s done.
Where Can You Play the Online Lottery?
There are several places you can play lottery games online. Most state lotteries have their own websites, so check to see if yours has one. Other major companies like TheLotter offer you access to international lottery games.
Here are the most popular places to buy lottery tickets online:
- California State Lottery: The California State Lottery has its own website where you can buy tickets and check results.
- Illinois Lottery: When Illinois became the first state to legalize online lottery sales, it opened up the market for other states to join. You can now buy lottery tickets online from the Illinois Lottery website.
- TheLotter: TheLotter is a global lottery ticket provider that offers access to more than 50 lotteries around the world.
- Jackpot.com: Jackpot.com is an online lottery platform with localized draws based on your location, including Mega Millions and Powerball.
- Jackpocket App: The Jackpocket App is a mobile app that allows you to purchase tickets from qualifying states. You can use this app to deposit funds and purchase tickets if you live in Arkansas, Colorado, Washington D.C., Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Ohio, or Texas.
You can also purchase lottery tickets from their respective state lottery websites and apps in many U.S. states.
History of the U.S. Lottery
Long before the United States officially attained independence, lotteries could be found all over during the 18th century–evidence of this can be seen in colonial-era newspaper ads.
In 1934, Puerto Rico became the first US territory to launch a lottery and then New Hampshire made history as the first U.S state to introduce one in 1964. The roots and popularity of gambling have been deeply embedded within American culture for centuries!
2021 has seen 45 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands offer lotteries in the US. Each of these jurisdictions provides unique instant win games and drawings exclusive to each state or territory.
Apart from Puerto Rico, they also partake in Mega Millions and Powerball – two national draws that can result in prizes above $1 billion.
U.S. Wire Act and Online Lottery Ticket Sales
In 2011, the US Department of Justice delivered a landmark judgment on the federal Wire Act, which opened up new avenues for individual states to offer online lottery sales. This interpretation declared that contrary to former belief, the 1961 Wire Act did not outlaw all electronic transactions related to gambling; rather it only applied its restrictions specifically toward sports betting.
In March 2012, Illinois ushered in a new age of online lottery sales when it became the first US state to adopt an internet-based system for purchasing tickets. Nowadays, seven states offer legal access to national lotteries such as Mega Millions and PowerBall—as well as instant win and draw games only available within those states’ borders.
Online lotteries have become one of America’s most popular forms of digital gambling!
Can You Play the Online Lottery for Free?
Under certain conditions, you can play the online lottery for free through exclusive bonus promotions!
The Michigan Lottery, Pennsylvania Lottery, and Virginia Lottery all have limited-time free play offers.
In most cases, you will need to pay a subscription fee to purchase online lottery tickets, but the membership fees are usually quite low. Generally, purchasing an online lottery ticket ranges from $1 to $5 USD.
It is always important to check your local state’s rules and regulations before you purchase a ticket online.
How to Play Lottery Online and Win Big
If you live in the United States, you’re probably wondering where in the country you can purchase tickets for online play. The good news is that most states have now legalized online lotto sales.
Sadly, playing the lottery online isn’t as readily available. But as it continues to grow in popularity across the country, millions more people will be able to play online and through their mobile devices.
Let’s look at the most popular ways to play the lottery online.
State Lottery for Android and iOS
Most states with online lottery availability allow you to make an account on iOS devices and Android phones. You can then purchase tickets, check your numbers, and even sign up for subscriptions.
If you’re an Android user, be sure to access lottery apps directly from the State Lottery website. iOS users can easily find lottery applications in their App Store with a few taps on the screen.
Jackpocket App
Jackpocket makes lottery purchasing more accessible and is available in select states where other online lottery platforms are not. To begin using Jackpocket, simply download the app to your Android or iOS device! The link for the Android version can be located on their website.
Jackpocket also makes it easier to collect your winnings. The app automatically redeems and pays out for smaller prizes of up to $600. As for bigger wins, Jackpot will coordinate the secure delivery of your winning ticket—no need to worry about a thing.
Desktop Applications
If you want to keep everything on your computer or laptop, desktop applications are the way to go. You can visit your state lottery website using any browser and purchase there.
Once you’ve made your account, all you need to do is deposit funds and buy your tickets!
Mega Millions Online
With all state-regulated platforms, every jurisdiction offering online lottery affords the chance to purchase Mega Millions tickets.
Mega Millions and Powerball are the two dominating multi-state lotteries in the U.S., with Mega Millions being available for purchase in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In addition to having two drawings a week—which sometimes offer record jackpots totaling over $1 billion—Mega Millions holds records such as its highest jackpot of all time: an astounding $1.537 billion!
After the Mega Millions drawing, winning tickets purchased via official state websites are immediately redeemed. Winnings are then paid into the player’s account balance for quick retrieval using ACH/eCheck, PayPal, or any other preferred withdrawal method.
Powerball Online
Like Mega Millions, you can find Powerball tickets at every state-regulated online lottery site and the Jackpocket mobile app. Powerball is offered in 45 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, with a minimum jackpot of $40 million.
Twice a week, Powerball gives US citizens the chance to become instant millionaires. The biggest lottery payout in American history happened when Powerball disbursed an incredible $1.586 billion in prize money in 2016.
Purchasing tickets online for Powerball is even more advantageous because winners automatically receive their winnings, hassle-free.
Instant Win Lottery Games
Instant games are the best way to play lottery online if you’re looking for a quick game—and instant winnings. You can hit it big just minutes after the purchase when you play instant games.
Unlike regular lottery drawings that are held twice a week and require players to wait on the results, instant lottery games give you the opportunity to get your hands on your prize money as soon as you hit the “confirm” button.
You can find instant games at the following sites:
- PA iLottery
- Michigan Lottery
- GA Lottery (Diggi Games)
- Kentucky Lottery
- New Hampshire Lottery
- Rhode Island Lottery
- Virginia Lottery
- Washington D.C. Lottery
TheLotter
TheLotter is a global ticket messenger service that allows you to buy lottery tickets from anywhere in the world. It is by far the best place to buy tickets and play lottery online. The site is registered with over 50 official lotteries across the globe and features some of the biggest draws like Mega Millions and Powerball.
TheLotter has a convenient ‘Auto-play’ option where they fill out your tickets for you, and you can easily customize your subscription. You also have the option to use their ‘Lucky Numbers’ feature, which randomly generates numbers for all available lottery draws.
No matter where you are or what time it is, TheLotter has you covered—their customer service team responds to all inquiries within 24 hours.
How to Choose the Winning Lotto Numbers
Although winning the lottery is partially a game of luck, there are some tips and tricks you can follow to increase your chances. Before purchasing tickets online, it’s always wise to use lottery number analysis tools like Hot & Cold Numbers or Random Number Generators (RNG).
Using random number generators can take some of the stress out of selecting your lotto numbers. Instead of spending hours trying to develop a combination that works, RNGs automatically take the guesswork out of it and generate random combinations.
It’s also important to remember that lottery numbers should be chosen thoughtfully. Don’t just pick any number you see or randomly select them. Take your time to study the past draws, look for patterns and choose numbers with the best odds of being drawn.
Is It Safe To Buy Lottery Tickets On TheLotter?
TheLotter is a web-based online courier service that is based in Malta. It allows you to purchase official lottery tickets from around the world.
At theLotter, they prioritize player security and confidentiality above all else. To protect your financial information and personal data while browsing our site, TheLotter uses GeoTrust 128 SSL bit security and HTTPS encrypts every page on desktop browsers and iOS & Android mobile applications. Rest assured that you can always trust them with your confidential details!
Legal Online Lottery Ticket Sites Versus Illegal Courier
Not counting third-party courier services, there is only one legal way to purchase lottery tickets online: official state lottery platforms.
Currently, eight states—Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, North Carolina, and New Hampshire—offer an officially regulated digital lottery platform for players nationwide. Any other online courier service that sells lotto tickets is breaking the law and should be avoided.
When playing in-state lottery games online, you need to purchase the tickets within your state’s boundaries. Any website selling tickets for out-of-state lotteries (apart from authorized national ones) will be deemed unlawful.
Engaging in unlawful online gambling is an incredibly dangerous activity. On these sites, player’ funds are not secured by any accredited gaming regulatory entities, and there’s no guarantee that your money can be withdrawn when you make a deposit at these shady sites.
Disclaimer Before Playing Online Lottery Games
Playing the lottery comes with an inherent risk of losing some or all of your money. Before playing any online lotto, please make sure to always read the website’s terms and conditions.
All sites have age restrictions in place, so you must be 18 or over in order to be approved. Playing at unregulated online websites will put you at risk of fraud and/or not receiving any winnings. We highly recommend only purchasing tickets through official state lottery sites with secure payment processors.
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