Lottery Online is a relatively new way to play the lottery. The first US state to legalize online lottery was Illinois in 2012. Today, seven states and the District of Columbia offer online lottery games: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. However, players must be within the boundaries of the state to purchase tickets and claim prizes. Lottery online sites use geolocation technology to ensure that customers aren’t trying to make purchases from outside the state.
The best online lottery sites offer multiple ways to deposit money, including PayPal and ACH bank transfers. They also offer a variety of games, from scratch-offs to lottery draws and progressive jackpot connect games. They also feature fantastic promotions, such as a welcome bonus worth up to $500.
Although online lottery is a growing market, it’s not without its challenges. Some lottery agents add on extra fees that drive up ticket prices. These fees are a necessary part of the business model, but they shouldn’t be too steep. However, most legitimate lottery websites have a transparent policy that discloses these fees upfront.
Retailers are opposed to online lottery sales because they fear a loss of foot traffic. At a legislative hearing on Thursday, representatives from the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association and the Massachusetts Package Stores Association testified that lottery online sales would hurt local businesses. They argued that the state is already moving everything from newspapers to beer and food sales to online, so adding lottery sales will only accelerate the decline.