Don’t Look Like a Fool: Read This before Buying Lottery Tickets Online
The internet is such a wonderful tool, isn’t it? You can keep up with friends all over the world, track special events, manage your finances and pay bills all from the comfort of your own home. You have already bought so many lottery tickets in the stores, why not purchase them online? Just think of the convenience!
Even with the comfort and convenience factor, buying lottery tickets online may seem daunting to some players, especially those unfamiliar with using a computer. You’ll be happy to know it’s not that complicated!
This guide will run down the basics of online lottery sales. With a few simple steps and precautions you can keep yourself safe and become a pro at buying lottery tickets online.
Getting Started
In order to buy lottery tickets online, of course you need a method to pay for them. In “old school” lottery ticket sales many people use cash, but online lottery sales require an electronic payment. Most sites allow you to use any major credit or debit cards you have. If you are the type that does not have a checking account, try setting up a prepaid debit card. It’s a good idea to do this even if you already have a major credit card—the prepaid card can be used to establish a lottery budget and track your spending on tickets. Since internet transactions are so easy and seamless, it can be easy to forget you are in fact spending real money. Limiting your spending to what is on your prepaid card ensures no pricey surprise in the future.
A great way to pay online is through PayPal. This is an online payment storage system that keeps your financial information secure while allowing for easy purchases. Creating an account is free and it is simple to link your PayPal to an existing checking account or card. When you are buying a lottery ticket, all you have to do is enter in your PayPal info. Your financial information is not shared with the site this way. Not all lottery ticket sites have this option, but it is a resource quickly gaining momentum in the world of online shopping and payments. If a site accepts PayPal it will usually display the logo on the sites home or checkout page.
Finding the Perfect Site
Browse around on search engines and lottery forums to locate the best lottery sales site for you. Our website has a great list of online lottery agents as well. Complete plenty of research on the site before you make any purchases. Look up reviews and try to find customer testimonials to gauge your experience. In any online transaction, be sure to check the website in the address bar before you submit payment information: A truly secure website will have “https” in the beginning of the URL. Keep close track on all your receipts just in case.
How Online Lottery Sites Work
Sites letting you buy tickets online work in a few different ways. In recent history, it has been hard to generate online lottery sales, as online gambling is federally illegal. Even though this law was originally meant for sport betting, it has extended a restriction on lottery ticket sales that has only begun starting to relax in immediately recent years.
No two lottery ticket sites are alike, and they all have their methods of ticket sales and purchasing. Some allow you to buy tickets only from your own state. Some sites allow you to purchase tickets from any state by buying the tickets on your behalf. If you are a lucky winner, the jackpot is wired to your bank account.
For the avid lottery player, purchasing your lottery tickets online can be a real improvement to your game. You can keep track of what numbers you already played and buy multiple types of tickets. Diligence is required to keep your personal information safe, though with the many advantages offered, the internet may be the lottery’s new best friend!
