In the United States, state lotteries are among the most popular forms of gambling. There are over 44 states that offer some kind of lottery, and tens of millions of people play every week.
Buying online tickets to US lotteries is legal and safe when you use legitimate, state-authorised websites. These platforms protect your personal details and make it easy to buy and claim prizes from local or national games.
A few states have already jumped on the online lottery bandwagon, but more are likely to follow suit as legislation gets clarified and as players get familiar with the concept. Here are some of the best places to buy lottery tickets online:
Georgia – The first state to offer instant games online was Georgia, which launched its lottery website in 2011. Its games are provided by IGT and include Diggi Games, Street Fighter II Instant Win, and Jungle Tumble Jackpots.
IGT also supplies games to the Rhode Island and Kentucky lotteries. You can also play these games at the Pennsylvania lottery site, which calls its collection MyGameRoom.
Ohio – Ohio is another state with an instant lottery online, offering a variety of games. These are provided by IWG and include favorites like Doublin’ Doubloons, Prospector’s Jackpots, and more.
Virginia – The state’s online lottery also offers instant games, which it calls MyGameRoom. These are also supplied by IWG and feature favorites like Street Fighter II Instant Win.
Pennsylvania – As of 2018, the state’s online lottery offers a mix of traditional scratch-type tickets and instant games similar to those found at land-based lottery locations. It currently participates in Powerball and Mega Millions, but it plans to introduce Keno soon as well.
Getting Started
The first step in playing an online lottery is to register at a reputable site. The site will collect your name, address, and email. This information will be used to verify your identity and allow you to make purchases and withdraw funds as necessary.
Creating an account is easy and free, so it’s a good idea to create one before you start playing. You can use a credit or debit card, PayPal, and ACH/eCheck as payment options. Some sites also accept e-wallets, but these aren’t as widely accepted as debit cards or PayPal.
Withdrawing from your online lottery account is also simple, and most sites will let you withdraw funds instantly. However, some sites will have a minimum and maximum withdrawal limit, so be sure to check before you deposit.
Finding a lottery site that accepts your preferred payment method is important, especially if you have a preference for using your debit card or e-wallet. The top lottery sites accept all major debit and credit cards as well as e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill, so it’s worth checking out their policies to find a site that suits your needs.
The most popular lottery games in the US are Powerball and Mega Millions, and you can purchase tickets in many states. In fact, these two games are the biggest multi-state lotteries in the country, and you can buy tickets in all 45 states as well as Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands.