The first lotteries began in the early 1700s. Newspaper ads from this time period reveal that hundreds of lotteries operated across the country. In 1934, Puerto Rico introduced a lottery. New Hampshire became the first state to offer the lottery in 1964. Today, 45 states and Washington DC offer lottery games, and the Virgin Islands are expected to operate its own lottery by 2021. The lottery can be played in drawing games or instant-win games.
Some states now offer lottery subscriptions on their official websites. This lets players purchase tickets for every drawing. Online lottery sales don’t affect the retail lottery’s physical sales. Michigan’s online lottery has seen weekly sales of eight million dollars just 18 months after its launch. It continues to set records in sales. The future of the lottery is a bright one. Online lottery subscriptions could help draw in more revenue for state governments and lottery agencies. However, anti-gambling groups still oppose online lottery sales.
Purchasing lottery tickets online is becoming more popular because of its convenience. Licensed lottery websites use geolocation technology to detect people from out-of-state when trying to purchase a ticket. Online lottery sales are legal in over a dozen states and more will likely follow suit in the near future. A lottery subscription offers more flexibility than purchasing individual tickets. There are several options to choose an online lottery subscription, but the biggest jackpot won’t always be the best. Most people, however, prefer a lottery jackpot that is bigger.
