Online lottery (or iLottery) is a form of gambling but has very little in common with its counterparts in both legal status and the user experience. The main difference between iLottery and casino sites/sportsbooks/poker rooms lies in the ownership. The former is run by the state, while the latter businesses are owned by commercial companies under a license issued by the states.
The distinction brings both positive and negative sides along. Safety is the number one factor leaning towards online lottery as a state-run gambling form is 100% legal and safe. We don’t say the strong casino sites are unreliable (especially the most popular ones), but the fact is you can find no safer gambling environment than the one offered by a state-run iLottery. On the other side, the lack of competition means the players are in for way less generous and attractive bonuses.
As you know, online casino sites, sportsbooks, and poker rooms, all use a strong promotional section to attract customers. Since iLottery has no competition being the only legal lottery in a specific state, you will rarely find it offering a whopping first deposit bonus or an attractive set of ongoing promos.
We take a look at the online lottery in general. This review will answer the most common questions about iLottery.
Where is online lottery legal?
Online lottery is legal across a dozen American states. The number is constantly growing as more and more states tend to follow in the footsteps of their neighbors. At the moment, you can legally play the lottery online on the following states’ lottery sites:
| State | Online Since |
|---|---|
| Illinois Lottery | 2012 |
| Georgia Lottery | 2012 |
| Michigan Lottery | 2014 |
| Kentucky Lottery | 2016 |
| Pennsylvania iLottery | 2018 |
| New Hampshire Lottery | 2018 |
The Illinois Lottery is a government-run lottery system in the state of Illinois, USA. It offers various games, such as the Illinois Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, Lucky Day Lotto, and Pick 3. All proceeds go to the Common School Fund and other state-funded programs, such as the Capital Projects Fund and the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. The Illinois Lottery Commission administers it.
The Georgia Lottery Corporation is a government-run organization operating in the state of Georgia in the United States. The lottery offers a variety of games, including Powerball, Mega Millions, Jumbo Bucks Lotto, Fantasy 5, Cash 4 Life, and more. The proceeds from the lottery go to educational funding, and the lottery is administered by the Georgia Lottery Corporation, which is a state-chartered organization.
The Michigan Lottery is a government-run organization that offers a variety of lottery games and scratch-off tickets to Michigan residents. Players can purchase tickets for games such as Mega Millions, Powerball, and Lotto 47 at authorized retailers throughout the state. Proceeds from the lottery support various state programs and initiatives.
The Kentucky Lottery is a government-run organization that offers a variety of lottery games and scratch-off tickets to residents of the state. Players can purchase tickets for games such as Powerball, Mega Millions, and Kentucky Cash Ball at authorized retailers throughout the state. Proceeds from the lottery support various state programs, including college scholarships and grants.
The Pennsylvania iLottery is a government-run organization that offers a variety of lottery games and scratch-off tickets to Pennsylvania residents. Players can purchase tickets for games at authorized retailers throughout the state. Proceeds from the lottery support various state programs, including senior citizen property tax and rent rebates and programs for older Pennsylvanians.
The New Hampshire Lottery is a government-run organization that offers a variety of lottery games and scratch-off tickets to New Hampshire residents. Proceeds from the lottery support various state programs and initiatives, including education, conservation, environmental programs, and other industries that benefit New Hampshire citizens.
North Dakota, North Carolina, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and New York also offer iLottery subscription services. Illinois became the first US state to launch an online lottery site in March 2012. Georgia followed it in November that same year, two years before Michigan launched its online platform. Kentucky and Pennsylvania followed suit in 2016 and 2018, respectively. New Hampshire is the last American state to launch a legal online lottery in September 2018.
Although each state mentioned earlier has imposed its own rules, most comply with identical laws. Keep reading to learn more about these. For now, we want to emphasize Kentucky Lottery Online for topping the charts in players per capita.
Who can play the lottery online?
Each state has imposed its legal restrictions. These strictly forbid any online lottery game for persons under 18. This is the case in all states that have already adopted iLottery, and it will be the case in all states that are about to embrace this form of gambling.
Now, most state lotteries utilize geolocation technology to determine the player’s location at the moment of an online purchase. This is because most states allow the users to register an account and play lottery online only within the state borders. You may bump into rare exceptions, but this is the common practice.
Finally, the ultimate restriction is regarding the familiar connections. Most states won’t allow you to play lottery online if your close relative works for the state lottery. Other than these three, you will not encounter any significant obstacles in registering an account at the online lottery.
How to play the lottery online?
Time needed: 2 minutes
Step-by-step guide on how to get started with your online lottery adventure.
- Find the Lottery you want to play with
The first step is to create an online account at the official website or the app of the state lottery you want to play. This is, of course, if you meet the aforementioned requirements in terms of age and your location.
- Complete the registration form
The registration form is very simple and straightforward. You should run through it simply by following the instructions and entering your personal information. The whole process should not take more than a couple of minutes.
You will usually be asked to type in your full name, date of birth, gender, e-mail, address, and the last four digits of your social security number (SSN). Also, if you have a special bonus code, make sure to use it in a dedicated box to earn your welcome bonus. - Make your first deposit
Once you have found your way through the registration process, you are ready to make your initial deposit and play lottery online. This is where we begin to find the main differences between state lotteries.
For example, in Georgia, you are required to deposit before you get to pick your numbers for a Powerball or Mega Millions drawing. On the other hand, the players are permitted to select their numbers and add the tickets to their online carts before topping their accounts up. The state lotteries differ from one another in so many other parameters, but these are all minor distinctions not worth mentioning on a larger scale.
If you have not had a chance to play the lottery online in the past, there is no reason to worry. The principle is identical to the one commonly used in land-based retailers. The rules obviously depend on the game. With common draw lotteries, you simply get to choose your winning numbers or let the computer do the job for you, and hope for the best when the drawing occurs.
Instant-win games are pretty much a synonym for land-based scratch-off cards. You buy a ticket and scratch it in hope of winning the top prize which is usually set accordingly to the original stake.
The online lottery scratch-offs come in a massive array of themes, price costs, and payouts. Most legal US lotteries offer everyone an opportunity to have fun times, regardless of their budget. After all, this is why we all love online lottery so much. A single $2 ticket for Powerball or Mega Millions may change your life forever with whopping jackpots always exceeding $40 million.
The aforementioned games are the most popular online lottery options you can find nowadays. Certain states offer a richer gaming library, but the basic gameplay principles remain unchanged.
Why should you play lottery online?
Besides the comfort of playing your favorite lottery games online, iLottery offers a wide range of other benefits, which we will discuss in this paragraph.
First of all, it is the diversity of gaming options. When you play lottery online, you get access to an extensive gaming catalog featuring the variants with different rules, themes, bonus rounds, gameplays, costs, and jackpots. Land-based lotteries normally limit you to scratch cards and weekly/monthly draws. With the online lottery, instant-win games make you feel like you’re spinning the slot reels on an online casino or playing an arcade-style game.
The second significant advantage is hidden behind promotions. When you enter a land-based lottery retailer, you will just purchase your draw tickets or scratch-offs and leave the place without enjoying any additional benefit. The online lottery brings much more to this as most states will welcome you with some sort of bonus. It can by no means be compared to the lucrative welcome packages offered by online casinos, poker rooms, or sportsbooks, but hey it’s still better than nothing. The possibility of winning real cash without investing your own is always popular among the crowd. Moving forward, some lotteries have established their own VIP programs that bring extra perks to loyal patrons. If you play the lottery online on a regular basis, why wouldn’t you take advantage of everything that’s offered?
Finally, there is again a concern regarding safety. A state-run online lottery is a 100% secure place where nothing can go wrong. You can’t lose the winning ticket since this way it is stored in digital form. You can’t lose money that is always in your online lottery account. Can we say the same for land-based lotteries? Not quite because there is always a chance you won’t be able to find a lottery ticket that was in your pocket.
To sum this paragraph up, online lottery has so many significant advantages. We listed only three here. Just compare the comfort you have while making a purchase from your sofa and a visit to a crowded retailer where you lose precious time waiting in lines.
What iLottery games can you play?
The diversity of its gaming portfolio is what makes iLottery so popular. Those who decide to play lottery online are truly spoilt for choice between bountiful challenging and interactive games on the menu. Draw and instant games are available across all US legal lotteries, while the differences can be noted in the array of other gaming options present in the library. Either way, here is the list of the most common online lottery variants you can find nowadays:
- Draw games
- Instant games
- Keno games
- Pull-tab games
- Fast cash
Draw Games
With all due respect to the other types, draw games have always taken the primary spot in the hearts of lottery aficionados. A chance of winning a massive amount of money for a price of just $2 is unbeatable, and this is why this specific game form will always be No 1 in the United States. With draw games, the players need to settle for the passive experience. They choose five or six numbers (or even let the computer randomly do it for them) and hope they are drawn.
The attractive jackpots are what make this game type so popular. Mega Millions and Powerball have the minimum jackpot set at $40 million. The biggest jackpot in history was claimed in the Powerball and went to an incredible $1,586 billion. The two most popular draw lotteries are available in as many as 44 US states at the moment. Moreover, some states offer their residents their own in-state draws. The jackpots for these are way lower and hardly ever get close to a $1 million mark.
Instant Games
Unlike draws that are scheduled, instant-win games offer prizes right on the spot and that’s their biggest advantage and selling point. You can find them in distinct iterations, including the slot, number-matching, form-a-line, crosswords, and bingo styles.
The basic pattern is usually very similar, though. Nevertheless, the instant-win games bring a whole new experience for those who play lottery online because of the amazing array of options, themes, and gameplay. The lowest stake possible is as low as 1 cent, while the maximum normally goes up to $30.
Keno Games
Keno is a draw game, but what is the difference between it and Powerball? It is in the frequency of draws. Keno games are drawn much frequently, i.e. every four minutes on the Kentucky Lottery Online. The players can pick up to ten numbers per one draw (from 1 to 80). ILottery keno games let you easily control your stakes and the number of draws you play for.
Pull-Tab Games
Pull-tab games are a perfect match for those searching for fast action. You won’t find this game type in abundance across the United States, as far as iLottery is concerned. Those who do find it can usually hope for payouts in the range of $1,000 to $10,000.
Fast Cash Games
Finally, fast cash is instant-win games that feature progressive jackpots. These are rarely offered by iLottery. If you are particularly looking for this game form, we’d advise you to visit a local retailer.
FAQ
Normally, iLottery cash-outs for the prizes up to $600 are processed instantly. For greater amounts, from $600 to 10,000, you are required to fill an online claim form, while to withdraw winnings larger than $10,000, you have to visit the lottery headquarters.
The number of states that have embraced online lottery keeps growing regularly. For now, the list includes Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, and New Hampshire.
Powerball and Mega Millions are the biggest US lotteries. The price per ticket is $2, while the guaranteed jackpot never goes below $40 million. These two mega lotteries are now available in 44 US states.
Only those who are at least 18 years old and physically within the borders of the state whose lottery they want to play are eligible to play the lottery online.