What Is The Lotto?
Lotteries are a popular form of gambling and it’s thought that the game dates back to ancient China, based on a game known as baige piao and pai-ko p’iao, which also inspired modern-day Keno. Despite its ancient roots, the first recorded games of lottery date back to the 15th century in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. What’s more, it’s thought that the name of the lottery stems from the Dutch word “lot” which translates to “fate”.
Lotteries have been incredibly popular and were regularly used to finance public works or to increase revenue. For example, it’s rumoured that lottery’s ancestor baige piao helped finance the Great Wall of China and that Roman emperor Augustus Caesar used lotteries to fund the upkeep of public streets and buildings. Despite their popularity, many were banned throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, but they have since appeared again since the mid-1900s as a way for governments to increase revenue.
In lotteries, a series of numbers are randomly drawn and players purchase tickets, select numbers and match the drawn numbers to their ticket. Users who manage to match numbers to their ticket win a prize and the more matched number, the bigger the prize. The lotto is a variation of lottery in which six numbers are randomly drawn from a large pool and players must match all six numbers in order to successfully win the progressive jackpot. Traditionally players were required to purchase tickets at licensed vendors in shops, but users can purchase tickets online through licensed websites.
The Best Lotto Online Websites
Lottoland
Lottoland is an online lotto website that was launched back in 2013. The site, which was founded by David Rosen, allows users to purchase lotto tickets and provides the results of 30 different lottery draws. In addition to this, the site also runs an online casino where users can play scratchcards, slots and jackpots from popular game developers.
Multilotto
Multilotto is an online lotto website that was founded back in 2012. The site allows users to purchase lotto tickets and publishes the results of recent lotteries including the Powerball, Mega Millions, Euromillions, Irish Lotto and more. Similarly to Lottoland, Multilotto also offers a small collection of scratchcards and slot games by publishers such as Playson and Big Time Gaming.
Betfred Lotto
Betfred Lotto is an online lotto website where users can purchase lotto tickets and view the results of up to 12 different lottery draws. In addition, users can access Betfred’s casino to play slot and table games, as well as the brand’s sportsbook where customers can wager on sports events.
The Lotter
The Lotter is an online lotto website that launched back in 2002. Users can use the site to purchase lotto tickets and view recent lottery draws including the Spain Euromillions, Powerball, Mega Millions and many more. Unlike most other online lotto sites, The Lotter does not offer any casino games.
Lottomart
Lottomart is an online lotto website that is available on iOS and Android smartphones. The site allows users to purchase lotto tickets and view recent results of lotteries such as the Mega Millions, Europe Millions, Powerball and more. In addition, Lottomart also offers a small range of casino games for users to play.
How Do You Play Lotto Online?
Playing lotto online is actually very simple. All you need to do is register at a lotto online website. Once you’ve done that, you simply select the lotto you want to bet on and then select the number of tickets, known as lines, you want to play and the number you believe will be drawn. Once that’s done, you simply wait for the draw to happen and if you’ve won anything, you’ll be notified by email. Some online lotto websites also offer special options, such as the ability to replay your ticket for several weeks or the ability to select a specific lottery draw’s day you’d like to bet on.
Online Lotto Payments
After you’ve selected your tickets and numbers, you’ll need to pay the online lotto website through any casino banking methods. Depending on the website, this can be via Visa and MasterCard debit and credit cards, Skrill, Neteller and other payment methods.
It tends to be a little more complicated when it comes to claiming your winnings. Depending on the online lotto website, small sums can sometimes be withdrawn directly to your bank account but larger payments may require you to contact customer support and you may even need to visit a lottery office for identification purposes. What’s more, online lotto websites will usually only provide you with a short time to claim your winnings, so you’ve got to act fast.
If you are lucky enough to win a large sum of money, you may be given the option to have your winnings paid out over a number of years. For example, the US Powerball allows users to select an annuity option where winnings are paid out over a 30-year period.
Play Lotto Online Syndicates
Lotto Syndicates are groups of players who purchase tickets together and share the winnings equally. Lotto Syndicates are normally formed for large lotto jackpots and it’s suggested that playing as part of a Lotto Syndicate can actually improve your chances of winning at the lotto.
In fact, a Lotto Syndicate of teachers from Maryland broke a world record for the largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot win. Together, the group of teachers won the $656 million prize and split the money equally, taking home a total of $218 each.
Choosing An Online Lotto Site
It’s actually fairly easy to register at an online lotto website. However, the hard part is actually choosing a site to register at. If you’re considering joining an online lotto website, you’ll need to think about whether you solely want to bet on lottery draws or if you’d also like to try out casino games and even sports betting. This is because many online lotto sites generally offer a selection of casino games, and some even have sports betting.
It’s also important you check out the accepted payment methods and how winnings can be claimed. For example, The Lotter requires you to contact their customer support team who will guide you through the collection process.
Registration And Verification
Once you’ve selected an online lotto website, you simply need to sign up. When doing this, you’ll be required to provide personal details such as your name, email, date of birth, address and country.
Most websites will now require you to verify your account during or immediately after registration. This is due to rules by the UK Gambling Commission, the organisation which is responsible for the regulation of gambling in the United Kingdom. To verify your account, you’ll be required to submit documents to the online lotto website, these can include a driving license, passport or recent utility bill.
The Biggest Lotto Jackpots
Powerball
The Powerball is a lottery game from the United States which launched back in April 1992 but is only today available in 21 American states. Each game costs $2 or $3 and users are required to select five white ball numbers between 1 and 69 and select one red Powerball number between 1 to 26. Players who manage to match at least three white ball numbers or the red Powerball number win.
Eurojackpot
The Eurojackpot is a European lottery that launched in March 2012. A Eurojackpot ticket costs €2 and the minimum prize for the Eurojackpot is €10 million, around £8.5 million or $13 million). Users are required to select five numbers between 1 and 50 and then two additional Euro numbers between 1 and 10. To win the jackpot, you’ll need to match all seven numbers.
Irish Lotto
The Irish Lotto is an Irish lottery game where players are required to select six numbers between 1 and 47. Users win the jackpot by matching all six numbers correctly. Meanwhile, a Bonus Ball can be drawn and if it matches a player’s selected number, it can offer additional prizes.
Mega Millions
The Mega Millions is a lottery game in the United States which launched back in May 2002. The game was initially offered in only six US states but today is now legal in most American states. Each game costs $2 and players are required to select six numbers from two different pools of numbers. Users select five numbers from 1 to 70, known as the white balls, and one number from 1 to 25, known as the gold Mega Ball. Players win the draw by matching all six numbers.
Play Irish Lotto Online
As mentioned above, the Irish Lotto is a lottery that takes place in Ireland but has become popular across the world. Founded back in 1986, the Irish Lotto has helped support the Republic of Ireland by raising over €4.7 billion. According to the Irish National Lottery, €0.30 of every €1 is donated to charity and has impacted the country greatly.
Tickets cost £2 and lottery draws occur every Wednesday and Saturday at around 8PM on RTÉ. Players are required to select six numbers from between 1 and 47 for each ticket they want to bet and to win, players need to match the six drawn numbers with those selected on their ticket. In addition, a Bonus Ball is drawn after the first six numbers, giving players a chance to win an additional prize by matching the Bonus Ball with two, three, four or five of their selected numbers.
You can play Irish Lotto online by purchasing tickets on lotto websites. Depending on the website, you can either purchase a quick ticket where all six numbers are selected for you, or you can manually select your numbers. On top of this, you can bet on Plus 1 and Plus 2 draws with your same ticket by paying an additional £1.
The Irish National Lottery also allows users to take out an Irish Lotto online subscription where you select numbers and are automatically entered into two draws per week for a reduced price. You can change your numbers at any time and winnings are automatically paid into your bank account. This has helped make the Irish Lotto online incredibly popular as it’s easy to bet and claim winnings.