If you live in the United States, you may wonder whether you can purchase tickets online for your favorite lottery. Thankfully, there are some states where this is possible. In this guide, we will cover the major games, the states offering them, and some of the third-party services that make it possible.
Online lotteries are fairly new in the US. As of the time of writing, only seven states and two territories offer legal online ticket sales. But, the legal landscape is changing rapidly. Ultimately, more states are expected to approve these sales in the coming years.
The first state to offer a legal online lottery was Minnesota. However, that program was shut down in 2015 after the legislature decided to end it. Fortunately, the Department of Justice made a clarification that opened the door for states to offer online ticket sales.
Other states offering legal online lotteries include Kentucky, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Some of these states even have apps for their lotteries.
Aside from purchasing tickets, some of these states have even begun to sell instant scratch cards online. These games offer payouts of up to several million dollars. They can be played in the official lotto app.
There are many legal lottery websites and third-party services that offer similar services. One of the most prominent is Jackpocket, which only operates in states that have legal online lottery sales.
Although the legality of offshore lottery providers is not completely clear, it is believed that they send their customers out to buy tickets from official lottery retailers.