Online Lottery Laws in the US

online lottery

A number of states in the US allow the purchase of online lottery tickets. These lottery games have been growing in popularity in recent years. The state of Nevada is one of the few that does not offer an online lottery. However, it is likely that it will soon join the group of states that offer legal online lottery. There are seven other states that offer legal online lottery: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.

Illinois is the first state to offer an online lottery. In March 2012, the state began a pilot program for the sale of lottery tickets. Later that month, the Illinois Lottery website expanded to include Powerball lottery tickets and Daily Lottery Games. The site also included Instant Games.

In October of 2017, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a comprehensive gambling expansion bill. This law authorized the online sale of lottery tickets, poker, and other games. The Pennsylvania online lottery launched June 1, 2018. The PA online lottery is called the PA iLottery. The site is available for both desktop and mobile devices. Its instant games include Mega Millions and Powerball. There are also several in-state instant win games.

The PA iLottery website is available on PCs, Macs, and Android and Apple mobile devices. The Pennsylvania Lottery offers Keno, a virtual sports game, and several drawing games. The Pennsylvania Keystone Cash Instant Win game has a maximum grand prize of $300,000. The Progressive Jackpots include Jungle Tumble Jackpots, which features a progressive jackpot.

While the PA iLottery website is a safe and legal place to buy a lottery ticket, you should be aware of the potential for scams. If you receive an e-mail or letter claiming you have won a large lottery prize, be sure to check the sender’s information. In most cases, these lottery scammers are just trying to extort money from you. Some even threaten you with legal action if you don’t pay them.

Some states, such as California and Texas, have laws on the books that prevent them from allowing the purchase of lottery tickets online. The Federal Wire Act prohibits interstate gambling. However, the US Department of Justice has ruled that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting. In 2011, the Department issued an opinion stating that the Wire Act did not apply to the sale of online lottery tickets.

The largest national lottery in the US is the Powerball, which offers a top prize of over $1 billion. The jackpot can be claimed at any of the participating states, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC. If you have won, you will have to bring your winnings to a local claim center, or complete an IRS form. The odds of winning a large prize are quite small.

The biggest multi-state lottery in the US is the MegaMillions, which allows purchases in 45 states. You can buy tickets for the game from a third-party platform, such as Jackpocket. You can also purchase your ticket at any of the participating lottery locations in Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.