US Online Lottery Guide

Best Lottery Games in the US

Given the popularity of lotteries in the US, there are plenty of games to consider. Each one comes with its own set of rules, but the general concept remains the same; pick a set of numbers that match with the randomly generated numbers to win big.

Learn more about the main lottery games:

Mega Millions

Also known as The Lotto, Mega Millions is easily one of the most popular lotteries in the world. It is available in a total of 47 jurisdictions and frequently awards multi-million jackpots. Top prizes can even exceed $500 million if the jackpot gets rolled over enough times.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 and the lottery is played with two pools of numbers. For the jackpot, you will have to match five numbers out of the first pool of 70, and another number out of the second pool of 25 options.

Powerball

Powerball is another massive lottery coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association throughout the US. It is known for its record jackpots but most frequently makes millionaires with prizes of one or two million.

Powerball is very similar to Mega Millions when it comes to availability and ticket pricing. The main difference is that there are 69 balls in the first pool and 26 in the second.

Little Lotto

This is a smaller version of the massive lotteries in the US. It is played with fewer numbers and thus gives players better odds of winning. The jackpots don't go into the hundreds of millions but they can still be significant.

You can also find more frequent draws, usually taking place every day for more excitement.

Daily Lotteries

Although daily lotteries have much smaller jackpots than the ones mentioned previously, they can still award $175,000 to lucky players. These are available in most states and are pretty popular when it comes to online lotteries.

You can pick which type of game you want, with three, four or five selections. You then select your numbers and how you want to play. A straight pick requires the numbers to be drawn in a specific order. A box selection wins if the numbers match, regardless of the order they were drawn in.

Instant Win Lotteries

Also known as instant scratch-offs or simply online scratch cards, these games have been around for decades. Unlike lotteries which use draws, players get the results on the spot when playing instant win lotteries.

In most cases, you will have to scratch the opaque layer off the card to see if you match any icons for a prize. Some instant lotteries in the US can have prizes of up to $10 million.

How to Play the Lottery

Online lottery sites make it incredibly easy to play various types of lotteries. You have everything you need in one place and you can securely purchase tickets within seconds.

There is no time wasted going to a local vendor and standing in line. You just have to follow these easy steps:

1. Visit one of the featured lottery sites

2. Pick which lottery you want to play

3. Select your numbers or use the instant random option

4. Click on 'buy' to purchase the tickets

5. Enter your payment information

6. Your tickets are ready!

How Does the Lottery Work?

Most lotteries work in a similar way, which is pretty simple. The standard game is played with one pool of consecutive numbers, out of which players must predict several of them in order to win. For example, a 6/49 lottery game requires you to accurately predict six numbers from a pool of 49 options for the jackpot.

Some of the largest lotteries, like Powerball and Mega Millions, have an additional pool of numbers out of which players must select one or two. All numbers from both pools have to match the drawn numbers to win the jackpot.

Speaking of winnings, lotteries normally get their prizes from ticket sales. The progressive jackpots are increased after each draw if the prizes are not claimed. This results in massive jackpots that can make headlines throughout the US. There are also smaller prizes for only matching some of the numbers and these have fixed values.

If someone wins the progressive jackpot, the amount for the next draw will be reset to a predetermined level and the process repeats. If several players claim the jackpot at the same time, the prize is split evenly.

Thanks to online lotteries, it is now easier than ever to take part in the action. As a result, the jackpots increase at a fast pace and there are always millions up for grabs. Another benefit to playing online at reputable sites is that the major lotteries are available on a global scale. Non-US players can take part in US lotteries and US players can buy tickets for non-US lotteries.

Lottery Syndicates

Lottery syndicates are definitely more common nowadays thanks to online lottery sites and reliable communities. In short, a lottery syndicate is a group of players who agree to put their money together and buy tickets. They will then share the winnings based on the amount of tickets purchased by each participant.

The concept is fairly straightforward and it is often practiced by work colleagues or groups of friends. The good news is that the top online lottery sites have reliable features for creating and managing syndicates. Users can join groups made out of other online players and securely pull their money. The operators will make sure that the winnings are paid accordingly to each member of the syndicate.

A lottery syndicate will give each member a better chance at winning something from the next draw. By pooling the money together and buying more tickets, players basically multiply the odds they would have on their own. In some countries, syndicates win more than a fifth of the top jackpots in major lotteries.

Of course, the prizes are divided amongst the members of the syndicate and this results in smaller wins. However, when we are talking about jackpots worth hundreds of millions of dollars, a share of the profits can exceed $10 million. This is definitely more than enough to make it worth at least considering lottery syndicates online.

Lottery Payouts

Every player that has ever bought a lottery ticket has probably dreamed of winning the jackpot and how they would spend it. While the hundreds of millions definitely present unlimited possibilities, very few people actually know how the jackpots are awarded. When it comes to the largest lotteries, jackpot winners have two options.

Lump Sum

After winning a multi-million prize, you can opt to get the jackpot in a lump sum. This is a one-time payment after all of the required taxes are paid. You can expect to receive around 30-60% of the advertised lottery jackpot if you go for a lump sum. At the current tax rates in the US, a $500 million win is a bit over $275 million in a lump sum.

This can depend on the lottery and on the local regulations within the state. The case remains the same if you purchase your tickets online. The top online lottery sites don't take commissions for jackpot wins and will actually help winners get their prizes.

Annuity

The second option is to get the prize in annual installments. For large lottery jackpots, this can take 20 or even 30 years. The advantage of opting for annuities is that you are basically guaranteed a large income for the next few decades. You also end up getting more in total. At current tax levels, a $500 million jackpot will land you around $350 million over the course of 29 years.

Of course, taxes can change over this long period and you may end up getting significantly less than that. As a result, most lottery winners opt for a lump sum.

Biggest Ever Lottery Wins

Over the years, the top lotteries in the US have awarded some amazing jackpots, some of them even exceeding $1.5 billion. It only takes one lucky ticket to win it all and become an instant multi-millionaire, even after taxes.

You can find the biggest lottery wins right here, with the jackpots representing the amount before any taxes or withholdings.

Lottery Strategy Tips

The entire concept of lotteries is that every draw is random and that every ticket has the same chance of winning. It all comes down to pure luck, but there are some ways in which you can improve your odds.

1. Buy More Tickets
   The most obvious way to improve your chances of winning is to purchase more tickets. However, this can quickly reach a breaking point where you are spending too much and still not winning. Online lottery syndicates can help out quite a lot in this regard.

2. Check the Odds
   While the odds of winning a multi-state lottery are astronomical, they can differ from one lottery to another. For example, Powerball offers odds of 1 in 292,201,338 and Mega Millions is at 1 in 302,575,350. As a result, it is best to play the Powerball lottery.

3. Wait for the Big Jackpots
   The chances of winning are the same for every draw and so it is best to wait for larger prizes. As the jackpots get rolled over week after week, the top prize will quickly increase and give you better potential returns.

4. Try out the Smaller Games
   When it comes to lotteries, the major ones get all of the attention with their jackpots of hundreds of millions. However, you can easily take part in smaller lottery games and benefit from better odds of winning. Although the prizes are smaller, they are still significant.

5. Play Online
   The best online lottery sites give you instant access to a variety of lotteries. You can securely select your numbers and purchase tickets without leaving the comfort of your home. It is also the best way to compare current jackpots and odds.

Playing Lottery on Your Mobile

You can now play the biggest and best lottery games directly from your phone. In most cases, you don't need any special apps or additional software. You can just go to one of the top online lottery sites from the browser and you will get instant access to the games.

These have been optimized for mobile access and come with user-friendly interfaces for easy access. Players can quickly pick their numbers or choose from the various systems available.

The benefits are that you can always purchase tickets within a few seconds, no matter where you are. As long as you have an internet connection, you can easily play the lottery on your smartphone or tablet. Compatibility is never an issue as the top sites run smoothly on iPhone and on Android devices.

As for restrictions, you will be limited to the lotteries available on the site. These usually cover the most popular ones and don't always include the smaller games in specific states.