State Lotteries In The Us
With more and more of our lives being organized, scheduled and orchestrated by technology, it is no surprise that purchasing lottery tickets online is becoming more widespread. But is buying lottery tickets online even legal in the US? And if so, how do you know which sites you can trust to purchase your tickets from. You will find all these answers and more here at legalonlinelottery.com.
- Which States Have Lotto America
- Which States Play Lotto America
- State Lottery In Minnesota
- State Lotteries In The Us 2020
- State Lotteries In India
- Us Lotteries Analysis
Is It Legal To Purchase Lottery Tickets Online In The United States?
In a nutshell, playing or buying online lottery tickets is completely legal in most countries. But for countries such as the United States that have anti-gambling measures in place, it can be extremely confusing for players. In 2011 the DOJ ruled that the Federal Wire Act only applies to online sports betting. One of the primary reasons that the DOJ issued this legal opinion was because individual states wanted to launch online lottery ticket sales. They got the answer they were hoping for. The Federal Wire Act was the only obstacle, and the Department Of Justice removed it for them. Now there are no federal laws that deem it illegal to buy lottery tickets online through licensed state lottery sites.
State Lottery.A game of chance operated by a state government. Generally a lottery offers a person the chance to win a prize in exchange for something of lesser value.Lotteries can come in a variety of forms, but there are three basic versions: instant lotteries, general lotteries, and lotto. Welcome to the Pennsylvania Lottery! Find winning Lottery numbers, PA Lottery results, and learn everything you want to know about your favorite PA Lottery games like PICK 2, PICK 3, PICK 4, PICK 5, Cash4Life, Cash 5, Match 6 Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, Treasure Hunt, Millionaire Raffle, all the PA Lottery Scratch-Offs & Fast Play tickets, Keno & Xpress Sports. The annual Diversity Visa Lottery also known as the Green Card Lottery is a US government program that makes 55,000 Permanent Resident cards available every year to persons from “underrepresented countries,” which have been less represented in employment and family-based preference categories in the United States of America and who meet two basic eligibility requirements.
After the DOJ’s legal opinion was announced, several states began offering online lottery ticket purchases immediately. There are are also offshore legal online lottery sites that are basically a messenger service that goes on your behalf to a lottery retailer to purchase a ticket. Those destinations are perfectly legal, however, we recommend sticking to the official state lottery sites for playing US based lottery games. We have provided links to those sites in this guide. You will find options for purchasing tickets, playing instant win games signing up for lottery ticket subscription services.
Legal US Online Lottery Sites
Below you will find access to several official state lottery programs. These websites are licensed and regulated by the state in which it is located. They offer the option for buying tickets online to their state lottery games, as well as the multi-state games that they participate in, such as Mega Millions and Power Ball.
Please note you must reside in the actual state to be able to signup and play their real money lottery games.
| Site Name | Current Bonus | States | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% Max $100 | MI Only | Play Now Review | |
| $5 Free | PA Only | Play Now Review |
Popular Lottery Games Where You Can Buy Your Tickets Online
- MegaMillions
- New York Lotto
- California Super Lotto
Which States Legally Allow Online Lottery Ticket Purchases?
A total of 44 states host lottery games in the US. Of those 44, a handful has already integrated online lottery games into their offerings. So far, you can buy online lottery tickets from these states: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota and Pennsylvania. In addition, the following states offer online lottery subscription services: Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Virginia. The one caveat here is that you have to be a resident of the state that you are trying to purchase a lottery ticket from. State lottery regulations in these regions have included a stipulation that states that lying about your residency or address is a crime punishable by law.
A few states have opted for a lottery messenger service that deploys an employee to visit a physical retail location and purchase your tickets for you. New Jersey is one such region, and California is another. This is the same concept used at offshore online lottery agents.
How To Play The Lottery Online
The first step is visiting the official website for the state lottery that you intend to play. You will find a table above with several such options. Once you have registered for an account you will be able to make deposits and purchase the tickets you want. Find the game, pick your numbers, and purchase your tickets. The next step is just waiting for the draw.
What is a Lottery Subscription?
A lottery subscription service offered by a state lottery site allows you to play any lottery you want on a scheduled and regular basis. You can designate the number of draws you would like and how frequently you would like the subscription to purchase tickets on your behalf. The number of draws you can subscribe to varies by region. Playing regularly may increase the likelihood of a life changing lottery win, though there are arguments both for and against that theory.
How Do I Collect My Winnings?
Typically, for relatively small amounts of 600 or so, you will be credited that amount into your online lottery account. For larger amounts, you may be asked to complete an online claim form or visit the lottery headquarters in person to claim your winnings. The specific process will depend on the amount that you win and the procedures in place in the state hosting the game that you’ve won.
How Do I Know I Will Receive The Full Amount Of My Winnings?
The lottery websites you see featured in this guide all adhere to state regulations and licensing requirements. This guarantees they must payout winnings according to established state lottery guidelines. There are some state lotteries that withhold winnings for individuals who have certain debts on file with the state, such as back owed child support or restitution.
Common Lottery Myths
If I just play long enough – I will definitely win! – mathematically speaking, this is not true. Is it worth playing the lottery? If you are looking for some fun and keep your efforts in moderation – then yes, it can be a lot of fun. The lottery should be played as a form of entertainment for fun when you happen to have a few extra bucks to spare. When you look at the number of tickets purchased vs the number of winners, it is easy to see that the lottery should not be considered a sound investment.
The more tickets I buy, the better my chances of winning! – statistically, this has been proven to be false. The odds are not in the players’ favor and buying 100 tickets vs 1 ticket does not improve them for you. The number of tickets you would have to buy to make this statement true would negate the benefits of winning it.
Playing the same numbers every week improves my chances of winning! – there have been more winners who have had their numbers selected through a quick pick feature than by those who manually select their numbers. Does this negate the original statement – we’re not sure, but we do know that the majority of winners didn’t even pick their own numbers.
I don’t need to worry about my retirement as long as I play the lottery every week, I’m bound to win eventually – the lottery should NEVER be considered a substitute for a retirement plan. It is possible for you to play twice a week for 30 years and never win a dime. We strongly recommend that you do not play the lottery in lieu of planning for your retirement. The lottery is a form of entertainment, not a long-range financial plan.
In the United States, lotteries are run by 48 jurisdictions: 45 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lotteries are subject to the laws of and operated independently by each jurisdiction, and there is no national lottery organization. However, consortiums of state lotteries jointly organize games spanning larger geographical footprints, which in turn, carry larger jackpots. Two major lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball, are both offered in nearly all jurisdictions that operate lotteries, and serve as de facto national lotteries.
In fiscal 2018, Americans spent $77.7 billion on various lotteries, up about $5 billion from 2017.[1]
History[edit]
Historian Neal Millikan using newspaper advertisements in the colonial era found at least 392 lotteries were held in the 13 colonies.[2]
Lotteries were used not only as a form of entertainment but as a source of revenue to help fund the colonies. The financiers of Jamestown, Virginia, for instance, funded lotteries to raise money to support their colony.[3] These lotteries were quite sophisticated for the time period and even included instant winners.[3] Not long after, each of the 13 original colonies established a lottery system to raise revenue.[3]
In the early post-independence era, legislators commonly authorized lotteries to fund schools, roads, bridges, and other public works.[4] Evangelical reformers in the 1830s began denouncing lotteries on moral grounds and petitioned legislatures and constitutional conventions to ban them.[5] Recurring lottery scandals and a general backlash against legislative corruption following the Panic of 1837 also contributed to anti-lottery sentiments.[5] From 1844 to 1859 alone, 10 new state constitutions contained lottery bans.[5] By 1890, lotteries were prohibited in every state except Delaware and Louisiana.[6]
Lotteries in the United States did not always have sterling reputations. One early lottery in particular, the National Lottery, which was passed by Congress for the beautification of Washington, D.C. and was administered by the municipal government, was the subject of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision – Cohens v. Virginia.[7]
The lottery never paid out,[3][clarification needed] and it brought to light the prevalent issue of crookedness amongst the lotteries in the United States. The wave of anti-lottery protests finally broke through when, by 1860, all states had prohibited lotteries except Delaware, Missouri, and Kentucky.[3] The scarcity of lotteries in the United States meant that tickets were shipped across the country and eventually led to the creation of illegal lotteries.[3] In 1868, after years of illegal operation, the Louisiana State Lottery Company obtained a 25-year charter for its state lottery system.[3] The charter was passed by the Legislature due to immense bribing from a criminal syndicate in New York.[3] The Louisiana Lottery Company derived 90% of its revenue from tickets sold across state borders.[3] These continued issues of corruption led to the complete prohibition of lotteries in the United States by 1895.[3] It was discovered that the promoters of the Louisiana Lottery Company had accrued immense sums of money from illegitimate sources and that the Legislature was riddled with bribery.[3] Before the advent of government-sponsored lotteries, many illegal lotteries thrived, such as number games.
Modern era[edit]
The first modern government-run US lottery was established in Puerto Rico in 1934.[8] This was followed, decades later, by the New Hampshire lottery in 1964.Instant lottery tickets, also known as scratch cards, were introduced in the 1970s and have become a major source of lottery revenue. Individual lotteries often feature three-digit and four-digit games akin to numbers games; a five number game, and a six number game (the latter two often have a jackpot.) Some lotteries also offer at least one game similar to keno, and some offer video lottery terminals. Presently, many US lotteries support public education systems.
As of November 2019, lotteries are established in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; the most recent U.S. state to legalize a lottery is Mississippi, with lottery commission members receiving appointments on October 19, 2018.[9]
The first U.S. multi-state lottery game was formed in 1985 in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont; its flagship game remains Tri-State Megabucks. In 1988, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) was formed with Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia as its charter members; it is best known for Powerball, which was designed to create large jackpots. Another joint lottery, The Big Game (now called Mega Millions) was formed in 1996 by six lotteries as its charter members.
As of October 2020, each of the 44 state lotteries offer both Mega Millions and Powerball as a result of a 2009 agreement between the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL to cross-license their game to one another's members, although the two organizations continue to administer Mega Millions and Powerball separately. Mississippi was the most recent to join both, beginning sales in January 2020. Puerto Rico is the only jurisdiction not to offer both, as they do not offer Mega Millions.
State revenues[edit]
State lotteries have become a significant source of revenue for states, raising $17.6 billion in profits for state budgets in the 2009 fiscal year (FY) with 11 states collecting more revenue from their state lottery than from their state corporate income tax during FY2009.[10]
Which States Have Lotto America
Lottery policies within states can have conflicting goals.[11] Given that instructions are passed down from state legislatures, lottery implementation is often expected to be carried out with reduced advertising and funding while still producing the same amount of revenue.[11] This issue led states to look for loopholes in the system. Massachusetts, for example, had its advertising budget dramatically cut, and therefore started using free-play coupons as money to pay for advertising.[11] This led to an IRS investigation into alleged non-reporting of income because the IRS considered the coupons to have monetary value.[11]
States with no lotteries[edit]
Among the states that do not have lotteries, Alabama and Utah cite religious objections.[12]Nevada's lucrative gambling industry has lobbied against a state lottery there, fearing the competition;[13] similarly, the Mississippi Gaming Commission expressed concern that a state lottery would constitute a 'competing force' for gambling dollars spent at Mississippi casinos. Despite this, in August 2018, Mississippi passed legislation to create a state lottery. GovernorPhil Bryant expressed his support for the lottery to fund transportation in the state and has indicated he will sign the bill. Sales, initially only scratch tickets, began on November 25, 2019. Mega Millions and Powerball tickets became available to the state on January 30, 2020.[14]
Alaska and Hawaii, being outside the contiguous United States, have not felt the pressure of losing sales to competitors.[12] However in February 2020, Alaska's governor Mike Dunleavy introduced legislation proposing the establishment of an Alaska Lottery Corporation, as part of an effort to overcome a budgetary deficit.[15]
New technologies[edit]
In recent years, new applications such as Lottery.com and Jackpocket were created for people to purchase lotteries over their smartphones.[16]
U.S. lotteries[edit]
| State or Territory | Lottery | Year of First Ticket Sales | Other Joint Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | – | – |
| Alaska | No | – | – |
| Arizona | Yes | 1981 | 0 |
| Arkansas | Yes | 2009 | LFL |
| California | Yes | 1985 | 0 |
| Colorado | Yes | 1983 | LFL |
| Connecticut | Yes | 1972 | LFL |
| Delaware | Yes | 1974 | LA, LFL |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 1982 | LFL |
| Florida | Yes | 1988 | C4L |
| Georgia | Yes | 1993 | C4L |
| Hawaii | No | – | – |
| Idaho | Yes | 1989 | LA, LFL |
| Illinois | Yes | 1974 | 0 |
| Indiana | Yes | 1989 | LFL |
| Iowa | Yes | 1985 | LA, LFL |
| Kansas | Yes | 1987 | 2by2, LA, LFL |
| Kentucky | Yes | 1989 | LFL |
| Louisiana | Yes | 1991 | 0 |
| Maine | Yes | 1974 | LA, LFL, TSM |
| Maryland | Yes | 1973 | C4L |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 1971 | LFL |
| Michigan | Yes | 1972 | LFL |
| Minnesota | Yes | 1988 | LA, LFL |
| Mississippi | Yes | 2019 | 0 |
| Missouri | Yes | 1986 | LFL |
| Montana | Yes | 1986 | LA, LFL |
| Nebraska | Yes | 1993 | 2by2, LFL |
| Nevada | No | – | – |
| New Hampshire | Yes | 1964 | LFL, TSM |
| New Jersey | Yes | 1969 | C4L |
| New Mexico | Yes | 1996 | LA |
| New York | Yes | 1967 | C4L |
| North Carolina | Yes | 2005 | LFL |
| North Dakota | Yes | 2004 | 2by2, LA, LFL |
| Ohio | Yes | 1974 | LFL |
| Oklahoma | Yes | 2005 | LA, LFL |
| Oregon | Yes | 1985 | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 1972 | C4L |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | 1934 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 1974 | LFL |
| South Carolina | Yes | 2002 | LFL |
| South Dakota | Yes | 1987 | LA, LFL |
| Tennessee | Yes | 2004 | C4L, LA |
| Texas | Yes | 1992 | 0 |
| Utah | No | – | – |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Yes | 1937 | 0 |
| Vermont | Yes | 1978 | LFL, TSM |
| Virginia | Yes | 1988 | C4L |
| Washington | Yes | 1982 | 0 |
| West Virginia | Yes | 1984 | LA |
| Wisconsin | Yes | 1988 | 0 |
| Wyoming | Yes | 2013 | LFL |
Which States Play Lotto America
- Key
2by2 = 2by2
C4L = Cash4Life
LA = Lotto America
LFL = Lucky for Life
TSM = Tri-State Megabucks consortium
0 = only multi-jurisdictional games are Mega Millions and/or Powerball
Other joint U.S. lotteries[edit]
These games also are offered by multiple lotteries.[17] Some of these games feature a shared progressive jackpot (noted by °):
- 2by2 (3 lotteries): Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota
- Cash4Life (9): Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia
- Lotto America° (13): Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia
- Lucky for Life (26): Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming
- Tri-State Lottery (Megabucks Plus°, Pick 3 (Day & Night), Pick 4 (Day & Night), Fast Play°): Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
See also[edit]
References[edit]
State Lottery In Minnesota
- ^Horton, Alex (October 18, 2018). 'How Mega Millions and Powerball changed the odds to create monster jackpots'. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^Millikan, Neal (2011). Lotteries in Colonial America. Routledge. p. 2. ISBN9781136674464.
- ^ abcdefghijkRoger Dunstan (January 1997). 'History of Gambling in the United States'. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010.
- ^McMaster, John Bach (1911). A History of the People of the United States: From the Revolution to the Civil War. Appleton and Company. p. 588.
- ^ abcSzymanski, Ann-Marie E. (2003). Pathways to Prohibition: Radicals, Moderates, and Social Movement Outcomes. Duke University Press. pp. 95–96. ISBN978-0-8223-3169-8.
- ^John Houston Merrill; Charles Frederic Williams; Thomas Johnson Michie; David Shephard Garland (1890). The American and English Encyclopædia of Law: Least to Mail. Edward Thompson Company. p. 1172.
- ^Jean Edward Smith, John Marshall: Definer Of A Nation, New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1996, pp. 456-459
- ^'Ley Núm. 74 de 2006 -Ley del Programa de Ayuda a Jugadores Compulsivos de Puerto'. Lexjuris.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^Howard, Morgan. 'Gov. Bryant appoints MS Lottery Corporation board of directors'. wlox.com. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ^'U.S. lotteries and the state taxman'. Reuters. July 15, 2011.
- ^ abcdNGISC (August 3, 1999). 'National Gambling Impact Study Commission Lotteries'.
- ^ ab'Five states that don't have lotteries'. Playport. July 30, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^'Knowing Vegas: Why doesn't Nevada have a state lottery?'. Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 11, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^'Mississippi lottery bill passes House, headed to governor'. WAPT. Associated Press. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^Maguire, Sean. 'Governor proposes independent corporation to run an Alaska lottery'. ktuu.com. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^'Jackpocket App Allows You to Buy Lottery Tickets Using Your Phone'. ABC News. September 29, 2015.
- ^'Games'. Multi-State Lottery Association. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
State Lotteries In The Us 2020
Further reading[edit]
State Lotteries In India
- Dasgupta, Anisha S. 'Public Finance and the Fortunes of the Early American Lottery.' QLR 24 (2005): 227+ Online
- Millikan, Neal. Lotteries in Colonial America (2011). excerpt
- Watson, Alan D. 'The Lottery in Early North Carolina.' North Carolina Historical Review 69.4 (1992): 365-387. Online