Online Lottery Guide
Real online lottery games are organized and run by the government, unlike video slots and jackpots run by private businesses (online casinos). Many online gamblers in the US count lotteries as some of their favorite casino pastimes. In traditional lotteries, participants have the chance to win life-changing amounts of cash. Online lotteries are no different. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about online casino lotteries in the US.
Play Real Online Lottery Games
How Lottery Games Work
In the past, it was the possibility of generating massive, taxable cash flow that led several governments to outlaw private businesses from running lotteries. Today, government-licensed online operators can lawfully run their own lotteries for players around the world to enjoy. In the US, gamblers have access to a number of reliable lottery sites that offer them the chance to win big.
Understanding internet lotteries is rather simple. After you’ve created an account with a site, you can fund your account and start playing immediately. In many cases, you won’t be limited to an online-based pool. You’ll be able to take advantage of the massive prizes and jackpots that make live lotteries so popular.
Each country or region has different regulations for live lotteries. Rules, banking methods, and game selection vary from region to region. Players can normally purchase live lottery tickets from online third-party agencies, and these websites have local offices around the globe.
In this instance, the third-party websites are the proxies between players and the government that hosts the lottery. As you might have guessed, there is a huge element of risk if you choose your third-party website poorly. To cut out that risk, it’s better for you to stick to purchasing online lottery tickets from reputable proxy services or government-licensed lottery sites.
Fairness and Security
Fairness and security are only guaranteed at government-licensed lottery sites. In addition, interested participants must physically be in the country hosting the online lottery before they can play to enjoy reliable results and cash-outs. If a player doesn’t meet this requirement, their tickets will be canceled. In this case, no prizes will be awarded by the government hosting online lottery games. Proxy websites help you buy the tickets while promising to send your money on the condition that you win.
Note that opting for these proxy websites means that the government won’t protect you if the website in question makes off with your winnings. In this event, the government will not officially recognize your purchase, since it was authenticated by the proxy site. Ultimately, if you’re still going to use third-party websites to purchase your tickets, we advise sticking to those that have been operating for a long time. The site that you choose should also allow you to view high-quality scans of the lottery tickets purchased in your name.
Tickets and Prizes
Online lottery games are similar to brick-and-mortar distribution points in the sense that ticket prices depend on which specific game you want to play. Usually, the price of a single ticket is less than $15. This price is only applicable to government-licensed sites, since third-party websites tend to charge more in commission fees.
Receiving your prize money is straightforward, with government-licensed sites charging no additional fees. For third-party sites, though, you might be required to pay a commission on your payout. That percentage can vary depending on the amount you win, as well as the terms and conditions of the site in question.
Making a Payment
Most official online lottery websites don’t offer a diversity of banking options. Regardless, you will be required to purchase the tickets individually, or transfer money to your online wallet to fund purchases. We recommend the second option because it’s more organized, following the same procedure as funding your casino accounts. Note that this only applies to government-licensed lottery sites.
On the other hand, proxy websites will tempt you with welcome bonuses after you make your initial deposit. Generally, the bonus is a 100% to 150% match of your first payment, capped at $100. New players can expect to find other promotions such as: ‘buy one get one free’ deals, and discounts on multi-draw packages.
Additionally, third-party websites offer a wider range of payment options than government-licensed lottery sites. This includes e-wallets like Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal. In addition, you can use the more traditional and card options like MasterCard and VISA, and even JCB, WebMoney, and GiroPay. Remember that the availability of these e-wallets depends on your location.
Receiving Your Payout
How you receive your payouts depends on which payment method you choose, and the amount of money you have won. Winnings of up to $500 are usually deposited into your bank account. Winnings ranging from $501 to $5,000 will either be paid to your bank account or paid by check. For wins over $5,000, you’ll always be issued a check. Wins over $50,000 will require you to contact the organizers so you can collect your prize money in person.
For third-party lottery sites, however, you’ll have to submit a withdrawal request. This is because their local staff would have claimed the winnings in your place. Because of the lack of liquidity, most proxy lottery websites won’t be able to process wins over $5,000. As a result, there will be some processing time in-between to personalize the withdrawal. The available withdrawal methods are similar to the ones you deposited with. However, American players will likely only have bank wire transfers as an option. Bank wire transfers take between 5 and 10 days to be processed.
Online Lotteries in the United States
Online lotteries are pretty popular in the US because they provide many states with taxable income. However, that popularity doesn’t translate to federal level lotteries. This means that players will have to look to their own states for any online lottery. That said, you can only play the online lottery if you’re within the state’s physical borders.
The supposed “widespread” availability of virtual lotteries still doesn’t mean that all US states offer their citizens the chance to take part in lotteries. In the past, the Department of Justice prohibited all online gambling under the federal Wire Act of 1961. Fortunately, the Act was reversed in 2013, since many states depend on taxes from online lotteries to fund their budgets.
Still, the adoption of internet lotteries as a form of gambling has been slow in many US states. Currently, only Georgia and Illinois have launched online lottery websites. States like Vermont have been experimenting with the idea as of late.
Top Third-Party Online Lottery Websites
Joining online lotteries through third-party websites always carries a risk. However, once you’ve found a reputable site, you should be good to go. The top third-party lottery websites consistently update players on jackpots and wins via email. This ensures that players don’t miss out on their payouts. We’ve listed the best and most reliable lottery sites to help you find your new favorite online lottery destination.
The Lotter
The Lotter was established in 1996. The site’s long-standing operation stands testament to its reliability. Signing up with the website gives you access to over 60 significant lotteries worldwide. With offices in the United States and Europe, the proxy website offers new players promotions like ‘buy one get one free’ and referral programs that award up to $25.
The Lotter also offers 24/7 customer support and a variety of payment methods to fund your account. Payment methods include Visa, MasterCard, and Neteller. However, withdrawals exceeding $2,500 will be sent through a bank wire transfer. In addition, 128-bit SSL encryption technology protects all data submitted by players. The Lotter also allows players to view scans of their purchased tickets for an extra guarantee.
PlayHugeLottos
PlayHugeLottos was established in 1998. The site enables players to enjoy 15 online lotteries from all over the globe. US Powerball, EuroJackpot, LaPrimitiva, ElGordo, LoteriaNacionalExtra, and MegaSena are among the games available.The only caveat to using this proxy site is that they don’t provide scans of tickets they have bought on behalf of players. Otherwise, the website is safe to play on, seeing as they also use 256-bit cipher encryption software to protect all personal and financial information.
The available payment methods include Visa, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill, Ukash, PayU, and iCheque. For withdrawals, bank wire transfers and checks are also available. However, please note that PlayHugeLottos doesn’t consider credit cards a viable withdrawal method.
WinTrillions
This is the largest lottery site globally, allowing players to take part in 22 different lottery games online. Their offerings include the Brazilian Mega Sena, UK Thunderball, UK National Lottery, German Lotto, Florida Lotto, French Lotto, Irish Lotto, Oz Lotto, and EuroMillions. The promotions available take the form of a VIP club, a refer-a-friend program, and a gift voucher deal that allows players to share the experience with their loved ones.
WinTrillions lets Americans fund their accounts through American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Western Union, Ukash, and MoneyBookers. In addition, the website gives players access to scans of their lottery tickets. There is also encryption technology and anti-virus technology in play, so none of your information will be compromised.
Conclusion
Internet lotteries are an affordable way to play lottery games and win big. Armed with the information in our guide, you should feel comfortable enough to navigate this type of gambling safely. You never know, your next $15 ticket may lead to the prize of a lifetime.
