The big US jackpots make headlines around the world, and people everywhere ask the same thing: can I play Powerball or Mega Millions from my country? The short answer is yes, you can win a US lottery without being American, but there are real rules about how a valid ticket gets bought. This guide explains what is possible from outside the US, the taxes you should expect, and the scams to avoid.
Do you have to be in the US to buy a ticket?
Official US lottery tickets are sold only inside the borders of each participating state. There is no government-run website that sells real Powerball or Mega Millions entries internationally, and the lottery is not available as an app you can download from Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan or Morocco to buy directly. To hold a genuine, claimable ticket, that ticket must be purchased physically within a US state that sells the game.
That is the core fact behind every usa lottery for Pakistan, usa lottery Egypt, usa lottery Jordan and usa lottery Morocco search: the game itself is American and state-bound, even though the prize is open to anyone holding a winning ticket.
Can a foreigner win the lottery in the USA?
Yes. You do not need to be a US citizen or even a US resident to win or to claim a prize. If you legally hold a winning ticket, the prize is yours regardless of your passport. We cover the citizenship and immigration angle in depth in can a non-citizen or immigrant win the US lottery. The catch is always the same: someone has to buy that ticket inside the US, in person, at a licensed retailer.
What are the real remote options?
If you cannot travel to the US yourself, there are a few legitimate paths, each with limits:
- Ask someone you trust in the US to buy a ticket for you. This is simple but informal — there is no built-in proof the ticket was bought on your behalf, so a written agreement matters before any draw.
- Lottery courier services. These companies have a person physically buy an official ticket in a US state on your instruction, then store it and notify you if you win. Couriers operate only in certain states and are not legal everywhere, and they add their own fees. See our lottery courier apps comparison and the broader iLottery state-by-state guide for where these are actually permitted.
What is not legitimate: any site claiming to sell you a "Powerball ticket" directly overseas. Many of those run their own private betting pools or are outright scams — you are not buying a real entry in the official draw.
What are the odds and the cost?
The games are the same no matter where you are in the world. Powerball costs $2 per play, draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, and the jackpot odds are roughly 1 in 292 million. Mega Millions costs $5 per play (raised in April 2025), draws Tuesday and Friday, with jackpot odds near 1 in 290 million. If you want to compare them, read Powerball vs Mega Millions odds and strategy. No system, app, or "hot number" trick changes those odds — they are fixed.
How much tax will a non-resident pay?
This is where international players get surprised. US lottery prizes are taxed at the source. For US residents, 24% is withheld upfront and the final bill can reach 37%. For non-resident foreign winners, the IRS generally withholds 30% off the top before you ever see the money, and some states add their own withholding on top of that.
A handful of countries have tax treaties with the US that can reduce or change how gambling winnings are treated — but many do not, and lottery winnings are frequently excluded even where treaties exist. Do not assume you will get the 30% back. Our detailed breakdown lives in lottery tax for non-residents and immigrants, with the wider picture in lottery tax on big jackpot wins. Talk to a cross-border tax professional before claiming anything large.
How do you spot a US lottery scam?
If you take one thing from this article, take this: no official US lottery will ever email, call, text, or message you to say you won. You only win if you bought a ticket and that ticket matches the drawn numbers. The lottery does not contact winners out of the blue.
- You "won" a lottery you never entered. Not real.
- You are asked to pay a "fee," "tax," "release charge," or "insurance" before receiving your prize. Real winnings have tax withheld automatically — you are never asked to pay upfront to unlock them.
- Messages claiming to be from Powerball, Mega Millions, or a US official, often with a foreign account to "process" your payout.
These schemes target people in Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and beyond precisely because the games are famous and hard to verify from abroad. AI has made these fakes far more convincing — see AI lottery scams in 2026 before you respond to any "winner" message.
The bottom line
You can absolutely win a US lottery as a foreigner — citizenship is not required to claim. But a real ticket must be bought inside a US state, either by you, by someone you trust, or through a licensed courier where it is legal. Expect roughly 30% withheld as a non-resident, verify everything, and never pay a fee to "release" a prize. For more answers, browse our lottery questions answered FAQ or head back to the Lottery Atlas homepage for the latest results.
Play responsibly. The lottery is entertainment, not an income plan, and the odds never improve. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help.