Lotteries have been around since the early 1700s and are one of the oldest forms of legal gambling in the US. They are now available to players in 48 jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC, and many of them offer their games online. The majority of the money generated from lotteries goes to education and other public programs.
The lottery has become a popular form of gambling in the US. Ticket prices range from $1 to $20 and the winnings can be large. Some of the biggest jackpots in the country are offered by Powerball and Mega Millions. Several states offer their own unique draw games and instant win scratch cards. However, most lottery games are not readily available online.
Online lotteries are now available in six states and several more are in the works. Massachusetts and Rhode Island are in the midst of implementing online lotteries. There are also plans to expand the reach of the lottery to online gaming websites. This would be the quickest way for a state to profit from expanded gaming, but it is not yet widely available.
The Michigan Lottery is one of the first state lotteries to offer instant games to its consumers. The site features nearly 100 different instant win games and is available 24 hours a day. A new customer can claim two welcome offers. New customers can get an additional 50% bonus credit if they use the online bonus code ONLINE10.
In addition to instant win games, the website also provides access to the most popular draw games. Players can choose from three multi-state games or eight in-house games. Most of the games have stakes ranging from $0.10 to $20. Ticket prizes range from $1,000 to $200,000.
The Connecticut Lottery is one of the oldest lottery organizations in the US. It began operating in the year 1964. The lottery proceeds go to education and the state general fund. Besides draw games, the lottery offers multi-state draw games and e-Instant games. One of the most popular e-Instant games is Lotto America.
The Illinois Lottery is another major player in the United States lottery industry. It is the first to offer online sales. In addition to the standard draw games, the lottery also offers several exclusive games. Among them are iLottery, which is an interactive game with a casino-like feel. iLottery offers jackpots that can reach half a million dollars.
In Maryland, the lottery offers a variety of draw and instant-win games. The lottery proceeds are distributed to a wide array of public services, including local parks and wildlife habitats. Moreover, the profits also benefit the state’s school aid fund. Since 2011, the lottery has contributed more than $5.5 billion to educational and other programs.
In addition to the usual draw and instant-win games, the Michigan Lottery is the second state to launch a fully-featured online lottery. During March 2016, the site saw online ticket sales totaling $8 million a week.