The lottery is a game of chance in which players acquire numbered tickets that allow them to participate in a draw that generates a random combination of numbers. The player who has the ticket with the same numbers wins a prize.
Before the internet, lottery games were limited to people sharing a physical space. However, now the possibilities are endless and online lottery allows players from all over the world to participate in the game of their choice with just a few clicks. Read our Lottery reviews by state:
Everything you need to know about US Lottery
USA Lotteries are well known for paying out the highest jackpots. In the United States of America, lotteries can be state or multi-jurisdictional, let’s see the differences between each one:
State Lotteries
State Lotteries can be played only by people within a specific state. Although the prizes of this type of lotteries are more modest, the limited number of players increase the chances of winning.
Multijurisdictional lotteries
Multi-jurisdictional lotteries are regulated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL, for its acronym). People from more than one state can participate in them, so they usually offer higher prizes than the state lotteries.
Which states have lotteries?
In the United States, there are 48 jurisdictions with lotteries, but there is no national lottery organization. Those jurisdictions include 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the USA Virgin Islands.
The two most popular lotteries in the USA
Due to their reputation, track record, high jackpots, and odds of winning, the two most famous lotteries in the United States are:
USA Powerball
It is the most popular lottery for both American citizens and people from all over the world. It currently holds the record for the biggest lotto jackpot (1.586 billion!). Even though the odds of winning in other lotteries are much higher, their big prize deserves a chance.
Each ticket costs $2 and players can increase their chances of winning with the Power Play, which costs just an additional $1. To play, they only have to pick from two sets of numbers and the prizes depend on the number of matches they have.
Mega Millions
Known for its big jackpots, Mega Millions is the lottery that has paid out the second-largest jackpot in history. Players can enter from anywhere in the world and win prizes in dollars they can convert to their local currency.
The jackpot starts at $40 million and adds $5 million with each drawing until there is a winner (regardless of the number of players each week). Players also have to select numbers from two sets and, just like USA Powerball, prizes depend on the number of matches.
And what about people who are outside the United States?
For those who are not in the United States and do not plan to travel soon, the online lottery offers the ideal solution.
Unlike the traditional lottery, the online lottery allows players to play their favorite lotteries regardless of their geographical location. Most of them are private businesses that serve as intermediaries with official lotteries like the ones mentioned above, but with the possibility of playing national and international games.
The two ways to play the lottery online
Through lottery agents
Some companies have offices in different parts of the world and serve as intermediaries between players and lotteries. These companies send their agents to buy tickets on behalf of the players, and then they pay the cost of the ticket plus a commission.
Through lotto betting sites
The way you play at these sites is a bit different because you don’t need to buy a ticket but instead select a lottery and bet on a combination of numbers that you hope will be the result of an official lottery. In other words, you do not participate in that lottery, but you bet and win based on its results.
Considering that there are no tickets involved and that many of these companies are not regulated, we recommend you take security measures and do your research before starting to play.
Let’s talk about taxes
It’s important to know that USA lottery prizes are taxable (unlike most European lotteries). If you win, you will have to pay the following taxes:
- State income tax
- Federal taxation (if the profit is 600 US dollars or more)
- Some jurisdictions may require additional taxes, and if you are not a US citizen, the withholding tax rate is 30%