The United States is slowly but surely moving into the online lottery space. While most states require players to visit retailers in person, a few have begun offering games online and accepting subscriptions through their official websites.
Most lotteries work similarly, with players predicting a number or set of numbers and then hoping to win the jackpot. However, it is important to understand that lottery games are only available to players who are legally authorized by a state to do so. Retailers who sell lottery tickets must be vetted to ensure they don’t have a criminal record or history of illegal gambling and many states also require them to post a hefty bond to cover any prizes won by their customers.
Those who are legally authorized to purchase tickets may do so on an individual basis through their state’s official website, where they can also find information about any current jackpots. Often, these sites also allow players to purchase tickets for multiple draws at once through a service known as a “bundle.” These bundles typically offer discounted prices and can be useful for players who want to increase their chances of winning by purchasing more than one ticket in a single transaction.
Illinois was the first US state to offer a lottery online, with its site offering a variety of games to residents. Most of these are scratch-type games, with top prizes ranging from $20,000 up to $300,000. The District of Columbia made its debut just a few months later, rushing out rules and launching the games in January 2021. DC opted to partner with IWG for its games, with titles including Doublin’ Doubloons and Prospector’s Jackpots.