Online Lottery USA: How to Buy Tickets Online Legally in 2026
Online lottery sites are available across the US. Often, those are offerings directly from the state (or D.C.) lottery. In other states, you can buy a lottery ticket through an online courier service. And in many regions, you can do both! In our guide, we will break down where you can play the lottery online in the USA. And, of course, we will show you how to do so.
Where to play online lottery games in your area
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Can I play the lottery online in the USA?
In about half of the states in the US, you can buy lottery tickets online. There are two main ways in which you can do so: official government online lottery platforms and online lottery couriers. Let’s dive into each one a bit more deeply and show where each are legal.
Official government online lottery platforms
Many state governments (and Washington, D.C.) offer an extension of their official government lottery online. But different states have different setups in terms of what games they offer and exactly how their platforms work.
Most ilotteries (as official government platforms are known) will allow you to directly purchase draw game tickets (like Powerball and Mega Millions) on their website or app. If you win, the money is paid out to you instantly, unless you win a large amount (different states define this differently, but we are generally talking about a win of $5,000 or more.) In that case, you need to visit a state lottery office to claim your prize.
Some also add in instant games, which are like an electronic version of a scratcher. And a few also offer online keno tickets.
Then there are a few states that offer only subscriptions online. In other words, you can’t buy individual tickets. However, you can commit to your numbers for a draw game for a set number of weeks.
Here are the jurisdictions with online components to their government-run lotteries:
| State/Market | Draw games? | Instant Games? | Keno? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Delaware | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Georgia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Illinois | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Kentucky | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Maryland | ✅(subscription only) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Michigan | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| New Hampshire | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| New York | ✅ (subscription only) | ❌ | ❌ |
| North Carolina | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| North Dakota | ✅(subscription only) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Pennsylvania | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Rhode Island | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Virginia | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Washington, DC | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| West Virginia | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Note: Alaska has a “statewide lottery” run by a group called Lotto Alaska, and you can purchase tickets online. However, since it is not a government-sponsored
If you don’t see your jurisdiction on the list, be patient. States are recognizing that they will have increased participation by offering online components, so a few are adding online lottery services every year. Yours is likely coming soon.
Lottery couriers
In addition to official state online lottery websites, there are notable online lottery couriers.
If you make a purchase through a lottery courier, the company sends someone to the store to buy a ticket for you. A picture of the ticket is then uploaded to your account, while the physical ticket is stored securely in case you win.
If you win, the courier pays the money directly up to a certain threshold. If your win is larger than that threshold, the ticket is sent back to you to cash. No matter what, you get every dollar of your winnings. The courier service only charges a flat fee, which you pay when you purchase the ticket.
All courier services offer draw games tickets in every jurisdiction where they operate. And most of them also offer scratchers, at least in some jurisdictions. If you purchase one of those through the platform, the courier will go purchase the scratch-off ticket for you. They take a picture of the ticket when they buy it, then scratch it off and take another picture. Then the app will create an animation where the purchaser can move their finger across the screen and the covering disappears to reveal what is blow, simulating the actual scratch-off experience.
Jackpocket is considered the most popular online lottery app in the US, but they are not alone. The Lotter, Jackpot.com, Mido Lotto, and Lotto.com are also available in US states.
Here are the areas (states, territories, and districts) in which each courier operates:
| State | Jackpocket | Jackpot.com | theLotter | Mido Lotto | Lotto.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Arkansas | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| California | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Colorado | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Delaware | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Idaho | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Maine | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Massachusetts | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Minnesota | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Montana | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Nebraska | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| New Hampshire | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| New Jersey | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| New Mexico | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| New York | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Ohio | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Oregon | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Puerto Rico | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Washington DC | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| West Virginia | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
iLottery vs lottery couriers, at a glance
| Official government iLottery platforms | Online lottery courier services | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Government lottery’s own website/app for online lottery products | A third-party service that buys a physical ticket from a local retailer on your behalf |
| Where it’s available | Only in states that operate iLottery | Markets where the courier operates and is permitted/able to do so |
| What you can buy | Varies by state: draw games, digital instant games, sometimes Keno | Typically draw games (and sometimes scratchers in select markets) depending on the courier/state |
| Who sells the ticket | The government lottery | The courier (as your purchasing agent) buys from an authorized retailer |
| Ticket type | Often digital proof of purchase (state system record); may not be a physical ticket | A physical ticket purchased at retail and stored securely by the courier (with a digital scan/photo in-app) |
| Ownership & custody | State lottery account holds your purchase record | You’re the ticket owner, but the courier may hold the physical ticket in custody until you claim/withdraw |
| Location rules | Requires you to be physically in-state at purchase | Requires you to be physically in the supported area/state at purchase |
| ID / verification | Requires identity + age verification before withdrawals | Requires identity + age verification |
| Fees | Some states include convenience/service fees for certain products | Includes service fees and/or pricing differences vs face value (varies by provider and product); no cut taken from winnings |
| Payout/claiming small prizes | Automatically credited to your online wallet/account | Credited to your courier account/wallet |
| Claiming big prizes | Requires additional verification and may require in-person claim depending on prize size/state rules | Requires ticket transfer/coordination |
| Transparency | Official rules, odds, and policies published by the state lottery | Policies depend on provider; users should review terms, fees, and prize-claim steps |
Are online lottery services legit?
Official government ilottery platforms and the couriers that we have on this page are absolutely legit. Your info will be kept safe, the games are fair, and (most importantly) you will get paid if you win. Here are some reasons that we feel comfortable recommending them to our readers:
- Online lottery apps and websites use state-of-the-art cybersecurity to keep your personal details (including banking details) secure.
- Instant games at ilotteries are tested for fairness.
- Government ilotteries are tightly regulated by the lottery commissions. In most jurisdictions they operate, lottery couriers work in conjunction with government lotteries, so they are regulated by the same commissions. In the few states where couriers are allowed but don’t have an express partnership with the government, the couriers still are held accountable by lottery commissions.
- Both ilotteries and lottery couriers have strong reputations. Even having covered this industry for decades, we have never seen a situation where a dispute wasn’t resolved satisfactorily for the player. Government lotteries are held accountable by other branches of the government. Lottery couriers are held accountable by the market, wanting to retain customers, and by lottery commissions. In situations where any mistakes have happened (e.g. when a player bought a winning Powerball ticket but no courier was available to get to a retailer in time), the courier has paid the winnings to the customer. And when governments (such as the legislatures of Texas and Connecticut) have decided to ban couriers, the couriers have complied immediately.
Beware, however: there are some offshore sites that offer to sell lottery tickets online in the US. Those have a reputation for not paying out winners and for data breaches. And they are not recognized as legit by any government regulators, so you have no recourse if something goes wrong. Thus, we strongly recommended staying to the online lottery providers you find on this page or on an official government lottery site.
Games you can play at US online lottery sites
Does playing on a US online lottery app give you the exact same game selection as playing at a retailer? No. But it’s close. And depending on your state and which service you use, it can be almost identical.
Here are the types of games you will find at online lotteries in the US:
Draw games
Draw games are where you pick a certain amount of numbers and if you match the ones drawn, you win big. The best-knowns examples are Powerball and Mega Millions, but most states have their own versions with smaller prizes.
Because these are the most popular type of lottery game and are relatively easy to handle electronically, they are available at every ilottery and lottery courier on the market. However, some platforms may not offer the smaller games.
Scratchers
Scratchers, also known as scratch-offs or scratch-off tickets, are another really popular form of lottery game. You scratch off the protective coating and then see if you won, depending on the rules of the particular game you are playing.
This may seem impossible to recreate electronically, but some online lottery couriers have found a way to do just that by creating an animation where you can reveal winnings by swiping your finger across your phone.
Online scratch-off tickets are only available on some apps in some states. But still, it’s a neat innovation that they are offered at all.
Instant games
Online lottery instant games are the government lotteries’ way of offering something similar to a scratcher online. The mechanics are different because you don’t actually scratch anything off. Instead, you tap your screen and after a quick animation, you know if you won or lost. So it’s a way of satisfying the desire for quick results and simple gameplay in a virtual setting.
Online keno
Keno is much like bingo in that someone draws balls with numbers, and you hope that you have said number. However, the game does not go until someone gets a pattern. Instead, you choose a set number of choices and then a set number of balls are pulled. Your prize depends on how many of your picks match.
In an online lottery, you can place Keno bets digitally and view results in the app or on the lottery site.
If you like this game, you will have lots of opportunity to play: draws happen frequently. For example, in Connecticut, a new Keno draw happens every 4 minutes.
FAQ about USA online lottery options
In some states you can buy lottery products online, but availability depends on where you are physically located. States that sell lottery online typically do so through their official lottery website/app (often called “iLottery”). In other states, you may see lottery courier services, where someone will go purchase a physical ticket for you and store it securely.
Yes. You do not need to be a resident to create an account, but you must be physically located inside a legal state (or the District of Columbia) to complete a purchase. Official lottery apps/sites and reputable lottery couriers use geolocation to verify you’re within state lines before allowing payment.
Sometimes. In some states (and D.C.), you can buy Powerball and Mega Millions online via the official government lottery. In other states, you can use courier services (where allowed) that buy a physical ticket on their behalf. You can see what is available in your area in the tables above.
“iLottery” usually refers to official online lottery platforms run by a government. However, some people use the term more broadly to incorporate any online lottery services, including couriers.
A lottery courier is a service where you can buy a lottery ticket online, and the company will send someone to buy a physical ticket from an authorized retailer on your behalf.
Typically, the process works like this:
- You select your game and numbers in the app/site.
- The courier purchases the ticket locally.
- Your ticket is stored securely, and you can view proof of purchase.
- You pay a flat fee for the service and any winnings are yours to keep.
Different lottery couriers are available in different states, and some states do not allow them at all. See the table above for up-to-date information on which couriers operate in which states.
Yes, as long as you are using an official government platform or a courier listed on this page. If you see other sites claiming you can buy tickets online, it is likely a scam.
Age requirements vary by jurisdiction. Most states require you to be 18+, but some require 21+ for certain lottery products. Always check your state lottery’s rules before creating an account or making a purchase.
Yes and no. With official government platforms, you can’t buy traditional physical scratch-offs online. However, some states offer digital instant games that feel similar to scratch-offs but are a different product category.
Lottery couriers will allow you to purchase scratchers online. The courier will scratch the physical ticket for you, and then the app puts up an animation so you can reveal by swiping your finger across your screen.
It depends on how you bought the ticket:
- Official government lottery: Smaller prizes will be credited automatically, but larger prizes require an in-person claim (exactly what qualifies as large depends on the jurisdiction).
- Courier service: Again, smaller prizes are credited automatically to your account. If you win a larger prize, the physical ticket will be sent to you securely so that you can claim your prize with the official lottery office. (Again, what qualifies as a large prize varies by courier and sometimes by state.)
