A Guide to Online Lottery Games in the US
The first recorded lottery offered tickets for money prizes. Public lotteries were common in Low Countries towns for funding for public projects, such as fortifications, as well as for the poor. Lotteries may have been around much earlier, however, because a record from the town of L’Ecluse in 1445 mentions a lottery of 4,304 tickets for florins – roughly equivalent to US$170,000 today. Today, lottery-style games are available at most grocery stores, gas stations, and gaming establishments.
The history of online lottery sales in the United States is relatively recent, with only a handful of states authorized to sell lottery tickets online. In the coming months, more states are likely to authorize this method of sale. Online lottery sales may boost state revenue, but anti-gambling groups remain opposed to the idea. Regardless of the future of online sales, lottery enthusiasts and players should remain educated and informed. This guide will help you learn more about online lottery games in the US, including how to buy tickets, which states have approved online purchases, and which games are available.
Online scratch-off games are very popular in North Dakota. You can play for as little as $0.05 to claim a prize. Most online games support online pools and let you pool your money for bulk ticket purchases. The online version of the game offers two welcome offers to new players. Use bonus code ONLINE10 to receive 10 free games, and click on the ‘ONLINE50’ button to get 50% extra bonus credits. Depending on the size of your winnings, the Click & Play website may be a good choice for you.
New Hampshire iLottery started selling online tickets in late 2018, and players can play instant win games and major lottery drawings there. Instant win games are similar to scratch-off tickets found in gas stations, but they’re played online and allow instant payouts directly to your online lottery account. Mega Millions and Powerball tickets can be purchased individually, as well as in batches of up to 100 tickets. There’s no limit on how many tickets you can buy per week for each game.
Today, there are 44 official state lotteries in the United States, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. In addition, there are state-run lottery games in Canada and Mexico. The history of the lottery in the US is a wild ride. In 1934, Puerto Rico began operating an official territory-wide lottery. In 1964, New Hampshire became the first state to have its own lottery. There are many more states in the US.
In the U.S., lottery winners receive a lump-sum payment rather than an annuity. The lump-sum payout provides winners with all of their prize money, after taxes are taken out. However, it is possible to choose to receive a lump-sum payout if you’re not planning on living long, have no heirs, and don’t expect to be alive for a long time. In some cases, taking an annuity is better for income tax purposes. Lottery prizes are taxed in the year you receive them, so you may want to plan your future accordingly.