Lottery games are perhaps the most widely played form of gambling in the world. There's an element of excitement and anticipation from online lotteries, and we show you the basics of how they work, and the best sites to play them. See where and how to buy online lottery tickets and discover get the results of each draw.
Lotteries are defined as games that raise money through the sale of tickets, and the holders of randomly-drawn numbers win the prizes. Online lotteries are perhaps the most exciting, as winners can share even the biggest jackpots.
It's an instant-win type of game where you place bets on certain numbers and claim a prize if some or all of your selection feature in the draw.
It's easy to play lotteries, and straightforward betting is one of the reasons they are so popular. All that's needed to win a jackpot is a correct guess on a series of numbers, although you need to match them all to win the main prize.
The jackpot values increase in line with the amount spent on tickets, and with major draws such as the Mega Millions and Powerball games, the jackpots can increase to vast amounts.
Playing Lotteries in Syndicates
Lottery syndicates may not be a familiar term to inexperienced players, but don't worry, as they are a hugely popular way to grab a share of a major win. Players in a syndicate pool their money to purchase tickets and share any wins, including the jackpots.
It's a common practice, supported by online lottery sites and players can set up and run their own syndicates. Each member buys the same number of tickets and gets their fair share of prize money.
Pay-outs From Lotteries
Every player dreams of hitting that jackpot prize pot with the lottery, but what happens when you do? The big question revolves around the pay-out system with such massive prizes in play. When it comes to lotteries and winners, there are two options - Annuity or Lump Sum.
We all dream of winning the main lottery jackpot, but what happens if you actually do? How do you receive your high prize? There are two options available in many lotteries, with players able to pick from an Annuity or Lump Sum.
Annuity
Pick the Annuity option to get an annual payment that for bigger jackpots can be 20 to 30 years. The advantage is a guaranteed yearly income, and you receive most of the total amount over this time.
Lump-Sum
Lump-Sum pay-outs are just what they sound like, and your entire payment comes to you in one amount. Because you usually pay tax on lump sums, this option means that your actual prize is from 30% to 60% of the advertised jackpot.
Play lotteries online, and you no longer have to visit a shop to buy a physical ticket. One of the best things about these games is that you can access them wherever you want, and you don't even need sit at a PC or laptop, as games are now compatible with mobile phones and tablets. You can pick numbers and buy entry to lotteries on iOS and Android devices.
Online lottery sites come with a user-friendly layout, and you can enjoy the same advantage of quick ticket purchase and special offers as desktop players.
Buying lottery tickets and entering a prize draw has never been easier. Our approved online lottery sites ensure that it's now a quick, straightforward process to play across the biggest and best games from around the world. Each has to pass our strict criteria to be certain they are safe and reliable sites that guarantee access to the top games.
Many players dream of winning mega jackpot prize pools while betting on the lottery. While this remains a dream for many, it has become a reality for others.
Most players won't actually hit a major lottery jackpot, and it will remain a dream. But the dream comes true for some and the rewards can be spectacular.
The biggest wins in lotto history:
| Win | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|
| $1.58 Billion | Powerball | In January 2016 three winning tickets split the biggest-ever lottery win. The Powerball prize was a staggering $1.58 billion. |
| $1.53 Billion | Mega Millions | An anonymous player from South Carolina scooped the largest single-ticket win of $1.53 billion on the MegaMillions lottery. |
| $758.7 Million | Powerball | Massachusetts resident Mavis Wanczyk landed a collosal Powerball jackpot of $758.7 million. |
| $656 million | Mega Millions | Three winning tickets shared the highest Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012, when they scooped the $656 million prize. |
| $648 million | Powerball | Two lucky Powerball players became instant multi-millionaires when they shared a $648 million Powerball jackpot in December 2013. |
| $590.5 million | Powerball | Gloria Mackenzie from Florida claimed the 4th largest lottery prize when she collected her $590.5 million Powerball jackpot. |
| $587.5 million | Powerball | Two fortunate ticket holders shared a $587.5 million Powerball win in 2012. |
| $564.1 million | Powerball | Three winners picked all the right numbers of the Powerball jackpot in February 2015. They split the $564.1 million jackpot between them. |
| $487 million | Powerball | A family from New Hampshire landed a $487 million Powerball jackpot in July 2015, choosing to claim it at once, minus taxes, via the cash-out option. |
| $536 million | Mega Millions | 2016 got off to a perfect start for a married couple with children as they landed a fantastic $536 million Mega Millions prize. |
If you want to start playing local and international lottery games but don't know where to begin, we have the solution. These are the biggest international lotteries, plus a list of the top UK games.
Top 10 Popular Lotteries Worldwide
1. Powerball
2. Mega Millions
3. Eurojackpot
4. EuroMillions
5. Oz Lotto
6. Lotto 649
7. Au Powerball (Australian Powerball)
8. Lotto Max
9. SuperEnalotto
10. El Gordo
Best Lotteries to Play in UK
- Euromillions
- Thunderball
- The Health Lottery
- Lotto
- People's Postcode Lottery
Anyone new to the world of online lottery games may find at all a little overwhelming. We'll walk you through the process in our complete guide to buying lottery tickets online.
The first stage is to read our list of the top online lottery ticket sites and pick an approved operator. Click the link in the review, and you go straight through to the site.
Step two is deciding which lottery games you want to play on a regular basis. You'll find a number of the best games and can pick from the available selection.
Now you pick your numbers and can choose these manually, or go for a lucky dip option that selects them for you at random.
Once you pick your lucky numbers, it's time to buy a ticket. The online lottery site will have a simple step-by-step process to buy your ticket and complete entry to the draw.
Complete the purchase of your lottery ticket and all you do is wait for the actual draw to see if you have won a prize.
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If online lotteries are a new concept to you, this is the right place to get expert advice. Read some tips from our professionals to see how to get started with online lottery games.
Lottery sites must pass several tests before they make it onto our list of approved operators. We audit each against these important critera:
Safety and Security A site must have a recognised gambling license from the relevant authority. The safety and security of an online lottery provider is critical.
Safety and Security Players must have access to a good selection of popular, secure, and easy-to-use deposit and withdrawal methods.
Bonuses & Incentives We look for the bonuses and promotional offers at each site. Approved online lottery providers should have a range of incentives and rewards for their loyal customers.
Bonuses & Incentives Customer support via a number of options such as live chat, email, and phone should be provided all day, every day.
Bonuses & Incentives We look for sites that work seamlessly on PCs and mobile devices. Customers should not have to compromise when they play on iOS, Android, or Windows platforms.
Lotteries Availability We examine the range of local and international lottery games available to players at each site.
It depends where you live, as local gambling laws determine whether taxes are due on lottery winnings.
You can reach plenty of lottery games online. Be sure you access secure games quickly and easily via our list of approved lotteries featured on this page.
Age limits vary depending on where you live. Generally, you will need to be 18 or 21 to play lotteries.
The safety level depends on which lottery you play. We only approve completely fair, licensed games that feature the latest security standards.
If you buy tickets at a land-based retailer, you will only be able to purchase those for local lotteries or cross-border games such as Euromillions.
The majority of sites let you purchase as many lottery tickets as you desire. Often, you buy them in batches of 30.
Yes, you can. There's no restrictions on which days you can buy lottery tickets online.
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