Online lottery is a type of internet gambling that offers players the opportunity to win a prize by guessing the numbers drawn in an official lottery draw. The prizes range from small winnings to jackpots worth millions of dollars. The online lottery industry is expanding rapidly as more states legalize it. The first state to offer an online lottery was Illinois in 2012. Since then, several more have followed suit. Currently, seven US states offer online lottery games.
Online lotteries can be played on desktop computers and mobile devices. The most popular are lotteries run by state governments, such as Pennsylvania iLottery, which allows residents to play for free or buy tickets using their smartphone or tablet. The site also provides information about past results and any unclaimed prizes.
While the majority of online lottery games are run by state lotteries, some independent operators provide services to players from other jurisdictions. These lottery websites typically require verification of identity and age before allowing players to play. In addition, these sites limit player accounts to one per person and prohibit sharing or reusing account information.
Another popular type of online lottery is the instant-win scratch-off game. These games usually have small prizes, such as toys or gift cards, and are a great way to get started playing the lottery. Players can find these games on the website of their preferred online lottery site or through the official app. Many of these apps allow players to set daily, weekly, or monthly spending limits, which can help them control their spending habits.
Aside from the instant-win scratch-off games, online lotteries also offer other types of games. These include the daily lotteries, which have smaller jackpots but can still award sums of $175,000 or more to lucky players. Unlike the instant-win games, these lotteries require players to choose three, four, or five selections. They can also choose between a straight pick or box selection.
Online lottery sites use geolocation technology to monitor where players are when they purchase a ticket. This helps the site ensure that people are actually located within the jurisdiction where the lottery is held, and it protects against fraudulent activity. Some states have additional requirements, such as requiring native residents to buy a ticket online. Other states, such as Pennsylvania, have an official application that uses geolocation to verify a player’s address and age before they can play.
In addition to the instant-win games, online lotteries offer a variety of other promotions. For example, some will match a percentage of a player’s initial deposit, which is common across most legal online gambling sites. For instance, Pennsylvania iLottery offers $20 for free on signup plus a 100% deposit-match bonus up to $500. However, both bonuses come with a minimum playthrough requirement of five times the amount of the deposit.