Buying lottery tickets online is one of the most popular forms of gambling in the United States. The number of online lotteries is growing. Currently, there are seven jurisdictions in the US that offer online lotteries.
These states offer lottery games such as Powerball and Mega Millions. Ticket prices range from $1 to $20. The largest national lottery is MegaMillions, with a top prize of $1 billion.
The United States lottery industry is one of the oldest legal gambling industries in the country. It dates back to the early 1700s. In the colonial era, newspapers advertised the existence of hundreds of lotteries. The lottery was one of the first forms of gambling in the United States. However, there was a heavy religious opposition to gambling, which eventually led to a ban on the industry.
The Department of Justice clarified the position on the federal Wire Act in 2011. It ruled that the Wire Act did not apply to online betting. This opened the door for states to offer lottery tickets online.
The first US state to offer an online lottery was Minnesota. In 2015, the Minnesota legislature voted to discontinue the lottery.
Since then, Illinois and New Jersey have introduced online lotteries. In January 2021, the District of Columbia will offer online lottery games. The Virgin Islands will also begin operations in 2021.
Although online lottery sales are legal in seven states, there are a number of challenges. Several states cite verification problems, while others cite lack of third-party applications.