The US lottery has a long history, dating back to the colonial era. Newspaper advertisements from the 18th century show hundreds of lotteries operating across the United States. Today, 45 states and the District of Columbia operate lotteries, with the Virgin Islands expected to join them in 2021. Currently, there are drawing games and instant win games available. Although anti-gambling groups are opposed to expansion of US lotteries, online lottery sales have become extremely popular and provide a number of benefits to those who want to play.
Many state lotteries have websites. While the primary utility of these websites is to let people check winning numbers and find locations for drawing events, they’ve also expanded their services to offer casino-style Instant Games. These games allow you to wager real money and can be played on the web or on mobile apps. Whether you want to play online or offline, you’ll find the right lottery site for you. Here’s what you need to know.
Playing the lottery online isn’t as easy as playing it in a physical store. Lottery apps and websites often require you to download the lottery application to your mobile device. This takes up space on your device and can become annoying if you don’t install the updates as soon as they come out. Also, if you play online, you won’t be able to use the app from your desktop. Unlike in-store lottery tickets, lottery apps and websites are only available on mobile devices.