Best US online lotteries
Thanks to modern advances in technology and recent changes in legislation, some US states now allow residents to play the lottery online. These changes in the US online lottery system have allowed the rise of several online lotteries offering lottery games and ticket sales to players. Although it is not yet legal in all US states, up to seven states now offer online lotteries, allowing millions of players to access lottery games from their computers and phones.
While this is a welcome development, keeping up with what and where you can play can be a little difficult. Each state has its own unique set of laws and each lottery platform differs in terms of the games, bonuses and other features they offer. In this article, we’ll list some of the best online lotteries and provide a comprehensive guide on how to select the best lottery sites for you. Read on for our guide to choosing the best online lotteries in the United States.
Top Rated Legal US Online Lottery Sites For May 2024
- Michigan Lottery : 50 Free Games of Instant Keno + up to $100 FREE
- Pennsylvania Lottery : Deposit Bonus up to $1,000
- Virginia Lottery : 50% Match up to $100 & 20 Free Games
Overview of Online Lottery in the United States
People have been playing lotteries in the United States since the 1700s, even before the US became an independent country. While there were already hundreds of lotteries in the US since the 18th century, there was no official state-wide lottery until 1934 when Puerto Rico became the first US territory to fully legalize lottery games. It would take another 30 years before the lottery was officially sanctioned by a US state with New Hampshire legalizing lottery games in 1964.
Today, 44 US states and three territories run a state-wide lottery. While the lottery remains illegal in six states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah). The country does not currently run a federal lottery. Instead, each state and territory offers their own unique instant win-and-draw games. All the states with legalized lotteries (except Puerto Rico) also participate in Powerball and Mega Million lotteries, which are the closest thing to a national lottery that players can get.
While physical lotteries started receiving attention in the 20th century, it would take several more decades before online lotteries became acceptable in the US. This was due to the 1961 Wire Act which outlawed all electronic transactions related to gambling. However, in 2011 the US Department of Justice clarified its position on the Wire Act and applied it to sports betting alone. This new perspective opened the doors for many states to introduce online lottery for players.
So far, only 7 US states offer online lotteries. While some of these states have websites and apps operated directly by the state, others use third-party providers. Here’s a list of the seven states that currently offer online lotteries:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- New Hampshire
Several states are reluctant to come on board with online lotteries in their territories. This is partly due to the complexity of legislation and also as a result of complexities in ascertaining the age and location of players.
List of the Best Online Lotteries
We have accessed the best online lotteries based on their game options, bonuses, ease of access, and other criteria and selected some of the best online lottery sites to play in the United States. Here’s a brief overview of each of these lotteries and why you should consider playing on them.
| Lottery site | Biggest jackpot | Mobile app | Legal States |
| Jackpocket NJ | $7 Million | Yes | NJ, CO, NY, MN, NH, WA, OH, OR, TX |
| PA iLottery | $91.8 Million | Yes | PA |
| Michigan Lottery | $1.05 Billion | Yes | MI |
| theLotter | $30 Million | Yes | CO, MN, OR, TX |
| VA Lottery | $239 Million | Yes (but not in Minnesota). | VA |
Jackpocket NJ
Jackpocket is one of the top-ranked third-party lottery apps in the United States. The Jackpoket company was created in 2013, while the lottery platform launched in New Jersey in 2019. The platform operates with the explicit approval of the NJ Lottery and it’s the state’s first registered lottery courier service.
As a lottery courier service, Jackpocket purchases physical tickets from a licensed lottery retailer on behalf of customers when they place an order. The physical ticket is then scanned and uploaded to the user’s account. In case of winning tickets, Jackpocket contacts the customer to arrange the prize payment. New Jersey players can access the Jackpocket platform via the web interface or download the mobile app available from the App Store or Google Play. The company recently launched a Jackpocket casino for New Jersey, designed to operate alongside the lottery ticket courier service.
PA iLottery
PA iLottery is Pennsylvania’s official online lottery platform. The state-operated lottery platform offers convenient online lottery ticket purchases for Pennsylvanian residents. Players interested in buying Pennsylvania Lottery tickets can visit the PA iLottery website or download the app to see all the games available for purchase. Players can also make deposits and initiate withdrawals using the different payment methods available within the app.
PA iLottery mainly offers draw games and instant win games. The platform currently hosts about 150 instant win games all offering immediate payouts up to several million dollars. The platform also offers some of the biggest lottery jackpots you’ll find in the United States. While the maximum jackpot varies for different lotteries, some games offer an almost unlimited prize potential to players.
Michigan Lottery
The Michigan Lottery platform is the state’s official lottery operated by the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery (MSL). As a state-sanctioned lottery, you can be sure that the online platform gives you the same level of integrity and security as buying from authorized offline retailers.
Michigan Lottery is one of the biggest online lottery platforms in the United States. It currently offers more than 160+ instant-win games and is consistently updated with new titles every few weeks. The platform also offers tickets to nationwide lottery games like Powerball and Mega Millions as well as Keno, Pull-Tabs and Fast Cash games. The Michigan lottery platform is also known for its generous bonuses which include a welcome bonus on a new player’s first two deposits as well as several time-limited promotions for existing players.
theLotter
theLotter is a legal online lottery ticket sales platform. It serves as a lottery courier service for residents in Minnesota, Texas, and Oregon, simplifying the process of purchasing tickets from authorized retailers. theLotter has different online platforms serving each of these locations.
This top-rated lottery site gives you access to over 50 lotto events both in the United States and in international markets such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, France and Germany. Currently, theLotter only offers mobile apps for residents in Oregon and Texas but not in Minnesota. However, players in any of these states can access the online platform to buy tickets without downloading an app.
Virginia Lottery
Virginia Lottery is the official online lottery ticket sales platform of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a state-operated lottery platform, all lottery tickets purchased on the VA Lottery app or website are fully backed by the state. This way, players can always be confident of their ticket purchase since it’s just as legitimate as buying from in-person retailers.
Virginia Lottery hosts an extensive library of lottery games which gives players a massive amount of flexibility in selecting the games to play. While the instant win lineup is a little limited (about 70 games), there’s a huge variety in other game types in terms of their theme and payout rules.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Online Lotteries in the United States
To ensure you enjoy your lottery gaming experience and increase your winning chances, you need to pick the right lottery sites. The ideal US lottery site for you will depend on what sites are accessible in your location as well as other factors such as your budget and playing style. The lottery sites featured above are some of the best in the country. However, you can also filter through the available options yourself based on specific criteria.
To figure out the best online lottery sites for you, you can consider specific requirements like the site’s safety, the bonuses they offer, payment methods, and accessibility. These criteria will help you filter through the lottery sites and pick just the right one for you.
Licensing
Online lottery is still a relatively tricky field to navigate as far as safety and licensing are concerned. Therefore, you should always check to confirm a lottery site’s license and certification before you decide to use it. Since there’s no federal lottery in the United States, each state handles its own licensing. You should check to ensure that the lottery site is duly licensed by the lottery board of the respective state.
In addition to being approved by the state authority, several other organizations work to ensure the safety of online lottery sites across the United States. Look out for certification such as the NCPG ICAP, which guarantees that the lottery site follows the best practices in player protection.
Site Security
Similar to the point stated above, you also need to consider the overall safety of the casino site before you play. The best online lottery sites use the latest encryption technology to protect the private information of players. They also have safety measures in place to ensure the integrity of deposit and withdrawal transactions. Before depositing on lottery sites, be sure to confirm the player protection measures the site has in place to ensure your safety.
Bonuses for Players
Everyone likes bonuses. Whether it’s free games, free bets, or cash rewards, bonuses can give you an edge and boost your winning chances. In addition to being safe for players, the best online lottery sites offer competitive bonuses. This criteria can be a great way to choose between lottery platforms.
However, you must look beyond the bonuses offered by the platform itself. What’s more important are the terms and conditions for the bonuses. Almost all lottery platforms offer some form of bonus to players. What sets them apart are the requirements that must be fulfilled to get the bonus. For instance, some lottery platforms require you to deposit cash within 24 hours to claim your welcome bonus. They May also set specific wagering requirements that must be fulfilled before you can withdraw your winnings. Look for lottery platforms with the most favorable conditions for players.
Accessibility
Part of what makes online lottery attractive to players is the possibility of gambling conveniently on their mobile devices. The best online lottery sites make this possible for players by providing accessible web-based platforms and intuitive mobile apps. These apps are available for both Android and iOS devices. They offer features such as easy scanning of lottery tickets, quick mobile payments and the possibility of playing instant lottery games online directly on the app
Lottery Games Options
Online lotteries in the United States offer different types of games. It’s always best to play on platforms with an extensive library of games because they give you more options both in terms of game quantity and variety. Online lottery games are broadly grouped into draw games, instant games, keno, and fast cash games. These game categories are covered in greater detail below:
Lottery Draw Games – Draw games are the most traditional form of legal lottery games in the United States and they’re the most popular games offered by most online lotteries. This type of lottery involves selecting random numbers and waiting for a scheduled draw to pick the winning numbers. Powerball and Mega Millions are examples of draw games that have become quite popular on online lottery sites. But there are several others, depending on the specific state you’re playing from.
Instant Lottery Games – Instant lottery games are also commonly referred to as scratch-off tickets that reveal symbols or numbers almost instantly. This lottery game format is characterized by immediate results popular titles in this category include Spicy Hot 7s, Bison Stampede and Vegas Cash Drop. One of the best things about instant lottery games is that they’re ideal for beginners due to their simplicity. Most online lotteries offer instant lottery games with various themes and designs. So, if you enjoy instant win games, you might want to watch out specifically for them on the online lottery you want to play on.
Keno Games – With keno games, players choose numbers within a specific range (usually between 1 and 80). The winning set of numbers is then selected randomly and announced. Players earn prizes based on how many of their chosen numbers match the selected winning number. Online lottery sites typically have very few keno games, mainly because this game format typically has very few variations. Some of the most popular options include Super Keno and Multiplier. Keno games are relatively easy to play, with straightforward rules. You might want to watch out for them if you’re new to lottery games.
Fast Cash Lottery Games – Fast cash lottery games are like scratch-off tickets, offering the possibility of winning immediate prizes. Most fast cash lottery games feature a progressively growing jackpot which leaves players with the potential of getting huge wins after a specific period. Some of the most popular fast cash lottery games include 20X the Cash, Wild Time Progressive, Lucky 7s, and Extreme Green. Compared to other game types, fast cash lottery games are limited in availability on online platforms. However, their popularity is starting to grow gradually.
Payment options
Finally, consider the payment options offered by the casino. This is another important criterion because it determines the ease of use of the online lottery platform. The best online lotteries offer multiple deposit and withdrawal options for players. This May include credit or debit cards, e-wallets, gift cards, and ACH bank transfers.
In addition to the deposit and withdrawal options, you should also consider other factors such as the minimum and maximum deposits/withdrawals, payout times, and other limits. For instance, while a lottery site May offer fast payouts, the payout limit might make it unsuitable for high-rollers. Consider all of these to choose a lottery site with reasonable payment terms.
FAQ
Is online lottery legal in the US?
Yes. Online lottery has been legalized in many US states. While lottery games are generally available in 45 states and three US territories, only 7 US states have state-licensed lottery sites. The states that currently offer online lottery gaming in the United States include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia. Illinois, Kentucky and New Hampshire. Note that you have to be physically present in each of these states to play lottery games on state-sanctioned sites.
Do online lottery sites offer any bonuses?
Yes. Many online lottery sites including the ones mentioned in this article offer generous bonuses and promotions. This May include welcome bonuses for new users such as matchup bonuses, free games and free bets on specific games. Some sites also offer periodic promotions for existing ones. To choose the best online lotteries, be sure to compare the bonuses they offer as well as the specific requirements for these bonuses.
What odds do online lottery sites offer?
The odds of online lottery games depend mainly on the game in question. Generally, the probability of hitting the lottery jackpot is low, but some games offer better odds than others. For instance, the chance of winning in Powerball is 1 in 24. On the other hand, Lucky Lines have a much better odds of 1 in 4.
What are the most popular online lottery games in the US?
Online lottery sites in the United States offer different types of games. Overall, the draw games like PowerBall and Megamillions are the most popular. They’re offered across online lottery sites in different US states. Lottery sites May also offer instant games, keno, and fast cash games. Each of these game types offers unique benefits. They also vary in terms of their rules and general gameplay.
Can I play the lotto on my mobile device?
Yes. Thanks to recent technological advances, most online lottery sites are now accessible on mobile devices. Many of these online lottery providers have sites that are optimized for mobile viewing. This allows them to offer pretty much the same experience as playing the game on a desktop or PC. Some of these sites also have mobile apps built specifically for Android and iOS devices with convenient features such as ticket scanners and seamless mobile payments.
What are the requirements to play online lottery games in the United States?
Since online lottery is not regulated at the federal level, each US state has the discretion to set its own regulations. Generally, there are restrictions regarding the age and location of players that are allowed to register on lottery sites. Most sites require players to be at least 18 years old to register an account. Players must also be physically present in the state before they’re allowed to deposit and play games. Most online lottery sites and applications use geolocation technology to confirm your location at the time of purchasing the lottery ticket online.
Are online lottery winnings taxable in the US?
Yes, lottery players in the United States are required to pay federal and state taxes on all their winnings. However, how much players have to pay as a tax depends on factors like the amount won and the state where the ticket was purchased.
Do US states use third-party distributors for lottery tickets?
Yes. Although online lotteries are legal in New Jersey, the state does not have its own state-operated lottery site. Instead, the state uses Jackpocket which allows residents to buy lottery tickets online conveniently.
