Online lottery is a popular way to play the games you know and love without having to leave your home. It is also safe to use as long as you follow safer gambling advice. Online lottery sites offer a variety of lottery games, including traditional and innovative ones, with jackpots that can be massive. In addition, you can find a range of bonuses and other offers to make your experience more fun. The first state to legalize an online lottery was Illinois in 2012. Since then, many other states have followed suit, offering their residents the chance to buy tickets online through official state websites and apps. Some also offer third-party courier services to purchase tickets on behalf of players. In addition to purchasing individual tickets online, you can also take part in multi-state lottery drawings like Powerball and Mega Millions as well as your state’s own draw games. There are also a number of other lottery games to choose from, such as Keno and scratch-offs. Most of these games require you to select a set of numbers, and then a draw is made in which 20 numbered balls are selected. If your numbers match the winning numbers, you’ll win a prize. Scratch-offs are a great option for people who prefer a quick and easy gameplay. They can be played on any device, and you will find out immediately whether you have won or not. They usually have smaller jackpots than number-draw games, but they can be a good choice for those who enjoy playing for small amounts and want to have an instant result. Online lottery betting sites act as bookmakers, taking bets on the results of popular lotteries around the world. These sites are often licensed and regulated by government authorities and provide fair odds to their customers. The biggest advantage of these sites is that they are much cheaper than buying official lottery tickets. However, you must keep in mind that they can’t guarantee a win. The first step in playing online lottery is creating an account with a reputable lottery site. Once you’ve done this, you can start choosing the lottery games you’d like to play and deposit money to your account. Many of these sites will allow you to deposit and withdraw cash through a variety of payment methods, and some even offer mobile apps for convenience. While some states are worried about cannibalization of retail lottery sales, the truth is that most of them have seen a positive impact on their sales after launching an online lottery. In Pennsylvania, for instance, lottery ticket sales have risen every year since PA iLottery launched in 2018, with the most recent year ending at just over $4 billion.