Before you start playing the official lottery, you should know that you’re required to register with a government-approved website. A lottery agent is a licensed third party that can legally purchase tickets from foreign countries for you. These agents can provide a scanned ticket as proof of purchase. You should also keep in mind that an official lottery site is usually only accessible to residents of that state. This article will show you how to register and purchase tickets online.

In addition to the state-run lottery, there are national lottery games, such as Mega Millions and Powerball. The proceeds of both games go to the pension funds of the state’s employees. Wyoming introduced its own lottery in 2013 called WyoLotto, which offers three multi-state games. The money raised by this lottery is used to fund the state’s schools. Official lottery games are offered in many states, including Pennsylvania. You can purchase tickets through the official lottery website or through an app.

There were more than 200 recorded lotteries in colonial America between 205 and 187 BC. The proceeds of these lotteries financed infrastructure and public projects. In the 1740s, lottery tickets helped fund the construction of roads and universities. The Academy Lottery in Pennsylvania funded the University of Pennsylvania. In the French and Indian Wars, some colonies began holding lottery games to raise money for their defense. A record from L’Ecluse, France, on 9 May 1445, refers to a lottery in which 4,304 tickets were sold for florins. Today, that amount would be around US$170,000.