Joining real lottery drawings through the web without having to drive or walk down the street to buy tickets is a well-known reality. There are scams out there, of course, and not everybody knows which alternative is truly safe. That is why we have summarized the three ways to play the lottery online in a didactic and simple manner.
Quick Jump
What Are the Ways to Play the Lottery Online?
In order to play the lottery online, you have three alternatives, but one depends on whether your location offers its own lotteries or not. They are all acceptable, but have different characteristics and possibilities, as well as advantages and disadvantages.
Your Local State Lottery
If your state or country has its own lotteries, there is a good probability that it also offers its own lotteries to play online and win. A great example is the jurisdictions in the United States that share the Jackpocket app access. Each person from their own state is allowed to purchase tickets to any game found in their location from the app directly:
Credit: Jackpocket
Not all states and countries with lotteries are modern enough to offer online services. Still, if you are looking to play the local or multi-state available games in your area, this is possibly your best option. After all, there is no added value to the tickets, so you can buy more entries for the next drawing.
Basically, the only con is quite relevant if you are looking for opportunities around the globe. Your online local lottery will never offer games from other countries, and most of the time, it will not even be from other states or jurisdictions in your country.
- Same price as lottery retailers
- Local promotion codes
- Dedicated apps
- Limited to local lotteries only
Lottery Agents
Online lottery agents are licensed services that purchase real tickets on your behalf. Although there is a service fee for using them, that is how players get access to lotteries from across their borders or even on the other side of the world. One of the top examples of successful lottery agents is theLotter, with over 60 different popular lotteries:
Credit: theLotter
Your scanned tickets can be accessed online, and it is important to rely on an honest service to make sure you are not scammed. By picking the best lottery sites that we have tested, you are free from that concern.
As we are talking about real tickets and participation, you still need to claim your online lottery prizes in person if they are big. In that case, the lottery service itself gives instructions on how it is done in another country. On the other hand, you often get discounts, special bundles, and the option for anonymous lottery syndicates in most games.
- Lotteries from all around the world
- Special discounts and bundles
- Real tickets
- Higher fee
- Travel to claim big prizes in person
Online Lottery Betting Sites
The last way how to play the lottery online is based on the use of lottery betting sites. They look a lot like lottery agents, but you do not get real tickets with them. Instead, you bet on the results of a lottery and get paid as if you were the sole winner of any category you match. It is thanks to insurance that they are able to cover the prizes in full.
Credit: Lotto Agent
As a reliable example, we can mention Lotto Agent, which is a hybrid site that acts as both a lottery agent and a betting site. In general, those websites tend to have better prices than the fees charged by agents, as they do not have to pay for real tickets. Even so, the total cost is usually higher than a regular real ticket bought in person.
One of the best perks of betting on lotteries online is that you do not need to travel and claim your prize. It is based on a bet, so you are fully paid via bank transfer. As long as you choose a website that you can rely on, like the ones we have reviewed, that is possibly the most comfortable option to play the lottery online.
- Worldwide lotteries
- Promotions and bonuses
- Reasonable fee
- No real tickets
What Is the Best Way to Play the Lottery Online?
All things considered, our experience shows that both lottery agents and betting sites work pretty well for the majority of the public. You won’t find some smaller games from specific states, but that is usually not a problem when you have all forms of lotteries available. Besides, bonuses and promotions usually make the tickets affordable.
If you make a point of having a real scannable ticket and participating in the lottery like any local, you must go with a lottery agent. On the other hand, if only real chances of winning matter and not the way you play the lottery online, lottery betting sites are more affordable.
