Best 10 Online Lottery in United States 2023 🇺🇸

History of lottery in the United States

In fact, some of the country's Founding Fathers supported using lottery funds, including George Washington who unsuccessfully attempted to raise funds for building Virginia's Mountain Road. Even Thomas Jefferson viewed lotteries as 'indispensable'. Benjamin Franklin unsuccessfully attempted to raise funds to buy a Revolutionary War cannon in Philadelphia.

John Hancock successfully financed Faneuil Hall's rebuilding in 1761. By 1832, 420 lottery games were held in eight states. It was lottery proceeds that funded college building construction at Yale and Harvard. In fact, Southern states financed Reconstruction with lotteries after the Civil War ended.

The notion of using lottery proceeds to fund government projects came from England. In the 1600s, England used lottery proceeds to finance the Jamestown colony.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1878 that the lottery games were demoralizing to American citizens, and Congress outlawed the use of mail to advertise lottery games. However, these actions haven't stopped most of the states in the U.S. from legalizing government-run lottery games.

In 1898, Louisiana Lottery Company (LLC) monopolized lotteries in the state of Louisiana, making more than $20 million in sales. More than 90 percent of LLC private lottery's funds were from outside Louisiana. Special trains transported thousands of receipts regularly to the company's New Orleans headquarters. Since the company's founder paid bribes, the business avoided taxes.

LLC earned 48 percent profit, even after the extensive bribes the company paid. By adding unsold tickets to the barrel where winning numbers were picked out of, the company often rigged the system to win its own prize money. President Benjamin Harrison denounced unscrupulous lottery agencies, and Congress banned moving lottery tickets across state lines or by mail. Louisiana's lottery's scandal-ridden system soured the national public's opinion of lotteries in general.

Modern-day lottery

In the early part of the 20th century, the public began to look more favorably at lotteries. In 1963, New Hampshire raised money for education with sweepstakes. By 1967, New York began a lottery, which made more than $53 million in revenue during the first year of operation. Taking note of the success in New York, twelve states launched lotteries by the 1970s. For state governments that don't want to raise taxes, a lottery is a viable option.

Since the 60s, lotteries in America have evolved to include many forms of gambling, such as scratch-off and instant-win tickets. Multiple state drawings, such as Mega Millions and Powerball are extremely popular.

Today, attitudes toward the lottery have come full circle. In fact, some studies report that most Americans approve of the online lottery. Even those who don't participate hold a positive view of playing the lottery. A Gallup poll from 2014 noted that 62 percent of the population think the lottery is acceptable morally. State government-run lotteries are the most popular form of gambling in the U.S. In fact, only five states, including Utah, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, and Alabama, are not administering state-run lotteries.

In 2016, New York reported the highest revenue from lottery out of all the states with more than $8 million. By 2017, U.S. residents spent more than 70 billion buying lottery tickets. States near the border receive an extra boon in cash for across-the-border sales, especially for huge Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots.

Future of lottery in the US

Lottery technology continues to evolve. State governments are investigating blockchain as the future of gaming. For the lottery, trust is essential. Blockchain technology is virtually impossible to hack or change. For instant, draw, and other lottery games, blockchain technology may enhance player trust in the game's outcome. However, changing the way that consumers play the lottery may take time.

For now, cutting-edge online technology provides an alternative way for bettors to buy tickets and participate in lottery games. As the lottery market is expected to reach more than $625 billion in value over the next few years, regulators, government and administrators are seeking to leverage the power of technology to track consumer spending on tickets and facilitate a seamless end-to-end experience for all involved.

Attraction

Online lottery odds are notoriously poor compared to other gaming options. However, the jackpots are huge, which is the main attraction for lottery ticket buyers in the United States. In particular, large payout lotteries, like Powerball drive up ticket sales when the jackpot continues to roll over. Americans who buy lottery tickets fantasize about becoming instant millionaires.

Online

The power of the internet only serves to increase sales. In 2011, states received the authority to distribute online lottery products. The Department of Justice issued a memorandum, which explained that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting. This interpretation of the law cleared the way for online lottery games, which several states have offered to eager residents.

Laws

Historically, games of chance have helped public and private entities to raise funds in the U.S. For instance, by 1765 both Harvard and Yale were conducting lotteries to raise money. Harvard began raising money with lotteries nearly a decade earlier in 1747. By the 1950s, 11 U.S. states supported legal bingo. Today, the best lottery sites are legal in 48 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Wyoming recently began lottery operations in 2013. All ticket lotteries are state-run in the U.S. and are licensed by state lottery commissions.

Popular lotteries in the United States

Powerball

Powerball is popular across the nation, drawing players who are interested in winning the big jackpots. With two draws per week on Saturday and Wednesday, players pick five numbers from 1 to 69 for a chance at winning, plus the Powerball number between 1 to 26.

The game's jackpot begins at $20 million and continues to roll over until someone wins. Those who lose may also win other prizes, giving players a 1 in 25 chance to win something. Lottery U.S. Powerball jackpot winners may elect to receive the money in a yearly payment for nearly 30 years or accept a lump sum of cash.

Mega Millions

As a globally popular game, Mega Millions offers players an opportunity to win millions with drawings on Friday and Tuesday. Players pick five numerals between 1 and 70, plus a Mega Ball numeral between 1 to 25. Like most lottery games, consumers may allow the lottery computer system to pick a randomly generated number.

If a player has guessed the winning number or hit the U.S. lottery jackpot with the random numbers, he may collect his winnings. However, the Mega Millions jackpot odds are poor at only 1 in 302 million. Fortunately, with nine prize levels, the odds of a player winning some money is 1 in 24. Like Powerball, winners choose whether to accept a full cash payout or yearly payments.

New York Lotto

New York Lotto offers top prizes, the largest jackpot reached $72.5 million. For a chance to take home similar jackpots, players purchase tickets to the lottery twice a week. Picking six numbers between 1 and 59, a ticket buyer has a chance at the $2 million minimum jackpot. By choosing the correct bonus ball, players may take home the secondary prize. However, if no one wins, the jackpot continues to grow.

USA lottery payment methods

By far MasterCard and Visa are the most popular ways to pay for the best online lottery tickets online and at land-based establishments. However, as the U.S. lotto evolves and more players are buying tickets from internet websites, the ways to pay are also changing. Here are a few ways U.S. Lottery players are paying for tickets.

Account

In order to purchase a lottery ticket at the best lottery sites, U.S. Players must open an account with an authorized website. Usually, opening an account is a simple process, involving a few easy steps. For instance, a player must submit contact information, confirm an email address, and supply identity verification information. After the information is confirmed, most lottery online websites will allow the player to purchase tickets.

E-Wallet

An e-wallet gives customers the option to deposit, hold, and transfer money online. Using a credit or debit card, the player deposits money into an e-wallet, which the lottery site accepts. Players may also transfer money to an e-wallet with a bank transfer. Players often use other e-wallets to fund an e-wallet account. By depositing funds into a U.S. lottery account with an e-wallet, a player may purchase tickets without divulging his bank account or credit card information to the lottery

FAQs

What is the largest Powerball jackpot ever won in America?

The Powerball jackpot record is $1.58 billion. It was split by three winners who each purchased a ticket in Tennessee, Florida, and California. On January 13th of 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta from California, John and Lisa Robinson from Tennessee, and David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith of Florida won $528 million prior to tax obligations.

All the winners chose to accept the full lump sum option of $327 million. In 2019, a lucky winner received the biggest single-winner jackpot in the history of the game. The winner's $768 million annuities should mean the Wisconsin resident is set for life.

How do winners choose between annuity payments and a lump sum cash payout?

For online lottery winners in the U.S., payment is offered in two ways, full payment in cash or annual payments spread out over 29 years. The annuity has a higher value than the lump sum payment. Choosing between the two payout options depends upon the winner's objectives. A winner often chooses the lump sum option, because he or she wants to control how the money is invested.

Lump-sum payouts may help jackpot winners steer clear of long-term tax obligations and give a winner the money to invest in stocks, real estate, and other high-yield options. However, the long-term payouts from an annuity have tax benefits. Federal taxes on the lump sum payment will take a sizable chunk out of the lottery winnings immediately.

Is there a way to guarantee winning the lottery in the United States?

Yes, a lottery ticket buyer is guaranteed to win, if he or she buys tickets for every single lottery number combination. For most players, this system of playing the online lottery is not realistic. However, someone who has millions to spare may buy every combination for a chance at $1 billion or more.

When the jackpot grows, most players will purchase tickets in a pool with family members or co-workers, increasing the odds of winning with the more tickets the group purchases.

Best Online lotteries in United States 2023