Online lottery is an exciting way to play the popular lottery games without having to go out and purchase a ticket. You simply sign up with an approved lotto website and place a bet on whether or not certain numbers will be drawn in the lottery draw you’re betting on. These sites act as bookmakers, just like sports betting websites. The site will then take a small percentage of the winnings. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to pay tax on your winnings if you win.
The first US state to legalize online lottery was Illinois in 2012. Since then more and more states have begun offering their residents the chance to play games over the Internet. In fact, as of now six states have made it legal for their residents to gamble on the internet: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
Getting started with an online lottery can be as easy as creating a free account at the lottery website of your choice. In order to register you’ll need some basic information such as your name, date of birth and location. Some lottery sites may also require you to provide proof of your identity. This is done in order to prevent fraudulent activity and ensure the safety of your personal information.
In addition to providing access to your state’s lottery games, legitimate online lottery sites offer a variety of other promotions and services. These include scratchcards, keno, raffles and discount lottery tickets. They should also offer secure payment methods and SSL encryption software to protect your information from hackers. You should never play at a lottery website that doesn’t have these features.
One of the biggest advantages of playing the lottery online is that you can access a much wider selection of games than in brick-and-mortar stores. You’ll find everything from Powerball and Mega Millions to local games such as Oregon’s megabucks and California’s Super Lotto. You can even purchase tickets for lottery games in other countries and states.
When choosing an online lottery website, make sure that it is regulated by a gaming authority. This will guarantee that the site is legitimate and offers high-quality games. It should also have a number of different payment options, including Visa, MasterCard and PayPal. You should also check out if the website has customer support available in your language of choice.
Another benefit of online lottery is that it makes it easier to track your winnings. Some lottery websites will send you a receipt by email each time you win a prize. They will also keep track of your past winnings and notify you when you have won a big prize. In addition, these sites will usually handle tax payments for prizes over $600. They will send you a W2-G form and withhold 24% federal tax as well as the rate set by your state.