Several states in the US allow players to purchase lottery tickets online. In addition to state-sponsored lottery websites, third party applications have also popped up in recent years. These applications offer a variety of draw games and instant win scratch cards.
The Rhode Island Lottery, for example, offers several in-house draw games, as well as an app for iOS and Android devices. Players can play in-house games such as Keno, Instant$, and MegaHits, or play multi-state draws such as Powerball and Mega Millions.
Some states have opted to only offer certain draw games, such as Mega Millions and Powerball. Others offer a variety of games, such as state-based scratch cards and multi-state draw games. However, the majority of lottery states do not sell tickets online.
Regardless of whether a state offers online ticket sales, some states still allow players to purchase tickets in person. There are also legal online courier services that can be used to order official lottery tickets. Using these services allows users to pool their money to buy large groups of tickets.
Pennsylvania iLottery debuted in 2018. It started with a small selection of instant win games. Later, the website expanded to include daily lottery games and Powerball lottery tickets. Despite the popularity of the service, lawmakers debated whether to discontinue the program.
Kentucky was the next state to introduce iLottery. This was followed by Rhode Island and Georgia. But even with these early successes, the overall legal landscape is not yet in favor of additional states launching online ticket sales.