There is no national lottery in the United States. Each state runs its own, so whether you can buy a ticket online depends on where you are standing when you tap "buy," not where you live. Searching for ways to play online turns up official apps, courier services and offshore sites side by side, and they are very different things. This guide explains each one and points to our more detailed guides.
Three ways to buy online, and one to avoid
Official state iLottery. The state lottery sells you the ticket through its own website or app. Your account is the official record, prizes are paid by the state, and you pay face value with no service fee. Where it exists, this is the safest option. Our iLottery state-by-state guide lists which games each state sells.
Licensed courier apps. A company buys a real paper ticket at a licensed retailer on your behalf, scans it into your account and stores the original. You pay a service fee on top of the ticket price. Couriers operate in some states without iLottery, including New York and New Jersey. Our courier app comparison covers the main services and their fees.
In person. In every other state, and for some games even in iLottery states, the only legal option is a licensed retailer.
Offshore lottery sites are the one to avoid. Many don't sell tickets at all. They take bets on the outcome of U.S. drawings, are not licensed by any U.S. state, and leave you dependent on a foreign company to pay. Our guide to playing the US lottery from another country explains the legal options for people outside the U.S.
Which states let you buy lottery tickets online?
The longest-running iLottery programs are in Illinois, Georgia, Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Virginia. Smaller lotteries such as Rhode Island, Connecticut, West Virginia and D.C. have joined since 2020. Two states went online in 2026. Delaware launched in January with eInstant games only, and Massachusetts opened Mass Lottery Online on July 27, 2026 for players 21 and older. What each program sells varies: some offer Powerball and Mega Millions, some only instant-style games.
Courier access has been shrinking. California, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin prohibit courier ticket sales, according to a 2025 regulatory review by Vixio. Texas acted most recently. After a 2023 jackpot won through a courier drew scrutiny, the legislature passed SB 3070, signed June 20, 2025, which abolished the Texas Lottery Commission, moved the lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and made courier sales illegal. If a courier app stops serving your state, a change like this is usually the reason.
The lists change often, so we keep them current in the iLottery guide and the courier comparison rather than repeating them here. If you're weighing where to play, best states to buy lottery tickets looks at taxes and rules together.
Age, location and identity checks
The minimum age is 18 in most states, but a few set it at 19 or 21, and Massachusetts requires players on its online platform to be 21. Our lottery age guide has the state-by-state list. You don't need to be a U.S. citizen to play or win; see whether a non-citizen can win the US lottery.
Location is checked every time you buy. iLottery and courier apps use geolocation on your phone or computer to confirm you're inside the state's borders. Residency doesn't matter: a visitor inside the state can usually buy, and a resident who has crossed the state line cannot. Location-masking tools such as VPNs are detected and block the purchase.
When you open an account you'll also be asked to verify your identity, usually with your name, date of birth, address and the last four digits of your Social Security number. That supports age checks and lets the operator handle tax reporting on larger wins.
Is it safe to play the lottery online?
Buying through a state iLottery or a courier licensed in your state is about as safe as buying at a store, because both are regulated. The risks come from unlicensed sites and from scams that copy the look of real lotteries. A real lottery never asks you to pay a fee to release a prize, and no app or system can predict winning numbers. Our guides to AI lottery scams and whether AI can predict the lottery go into detail.
The games are identical online and off. Powerball costs $2 a play, draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET, and has jackpot odds of 1 in 292,201,338. Mega Millions has cost $5 a play since April 2025, with a multiplier built into every ticket; it draws Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. ET, and the jackpot odds are 1 in 290,472,336. For a comparison of the two, see Powerball vs. Mega Millions odds.
Are online lottery winnings taxed differently?
No. A prize won on an app is taxed the same way as one won on a paper ticket. Under the IRS instructions for Form W-2G, the lottery withholds 24% federal tax when the prize minus the wager is more than $5,000, and your final federal bill depends on your bracket, up to 37%. Prizes paid to nonresident aliens generally face 30% federal withholding. Most states add their own tax. Our federal and state lottery tax breakdown has the details, and what to do if you win the lottery covers the first steps after a big win.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play the US lottery online?
Yes, but only in states that allow it. More than a dozen states and Washington, D.C. sell tickets through official iLottery sites and apps, and some others allow licensed couriers. You must be physically inside the state when you buy.
Can you buy lottery tickets online from another state?
No. Every iLottery and courier app checks your location at the time of purchase, and you have to be inside that state's borders. Being a resident isn't enough if you're traveling elsewhere.
Which states don't allow lottery courier apps?
California, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin prohibit courier sales. Texas made them illegal under SB 3070, signed June 20, 2025.
Are offshore lottery websites legal in the US?
They aren't licensed by any U.S. state lottery. Many sell bets on drawing results rather than real tickets, so you never hold a ticket you could claim, and you depend on the company to pay.
Are online lottery winnings taxed?
Yes, exactly like winnings from a paper ticket. The lottery withholds 24% federal tax on prizes over $5,000 after subtracting the wager, and most states tax lottery winnings too.
The lottery is entertainment, not an investment. If gambling stops being fun, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Sources: Powerball prize chart; IRS Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754; Texas Legislature bill history for SB 3070; Delaware Lottery and Massachusetts State Lottery launch announcements; Vixio's 2025 review of lottery courier regulation.
