Tag Archives: lotteries
Buy Online Lottery Tickets
Buy Online Lottery Tickets
In Europe, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries lottery players have been able to buy online lottery tickets for years. The move online has been well received everywhere it has been implemented and lotteries selling online lottery tickets report a noticeable increase in sales. Some official lottery websites sell tickets for other lotteries. The UK National Lottery website also sells online lottery tickets for the popular mega jackpot EuroMillions lottery. Some official lottery websites restrict participation by offshore players while others do not. The Australian ‘Oz Lotto’ website welcomes international players and everyone is welcome to buy online lottery tickets for any of the games that Oz Lotto provides.
For US citizens participation in a foreign lottery is illegal but the internet has many sites that will sell foreign lottery tickets to US players. US laws are designed to protect domestic lotteries from foreign competition because of the amount of money lotteries provide to states. The ability of US players to buy online lottery tickets for domestic lotteries has been hampered by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. (UIGEA) This ill conceived law was introduced by a few anti gambling extremists in congress and tacked on to a Safe Ports Bill making it politically impossible for opponents to vote against the measure. While the law does not ban online gambling it makes the processing of gambling related transactions illegal. The responsibility of enforcement was foisted on to banks and financial institutions without a clear set of rules and guidelines. Many lottery players who used credit cards to purchase lottery tickets at retailers had their transactions declined.
Recently two states, Illinois and Iowa are exploring the possibility of allowing residents to buy online lottery tickets. Should either of these states implement the sale of online lottery tickets it could open the door for other states to offer online lottery tickets. Once federal regulations are clarified states would be free to offer online ticket sales and banks and other financial institutions would be free to process lottery related transactions. Since the technology for online lottery ticket sales has been in place in Europe for over a decade it should be an easy transition for state lotteries in the US. Most lottery observers say that allowing players to buy online lottery tickets would immediately increase sales and attract a younger tech savvy generation to lotteries. It is really only a matter of time before state lotteries allow players to buy online lottery tickets. Most players say; the sooner the better!
Winning Powerball
Winning Powerball
Powerball is the popular mega jackpot played by millions throughout the United States. Powerball was originally known as Lotto America and in 1992 the name was changed to Powerball. Powerball drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Florida at 10:59 PM. Players select five numbers from 1 to 59 and a Powerball number from 1 to 39. Tickets are only $1 and winning Powerball can be a life changing experience. Powerball has awarded the largest single jackpot in the US. On February 18, 2006 one ticket won a $365 million jackpot which was shared by a lottery syndicate consisting of eight people.
In 2010 the Multi State Lottery Association and the Mega Millions lottery reached an agreement allowing cross sales of tickets for both lotteries in most states. The move was well received and there is talk of both lotteries merging into one single National Lottery. And various game concepts are being tested.
Winning Powerball is largely a matter of luck since lotteries are random games of chance. The player who opts for the quick pick option where numbers are selected by a random number generator has an equal chance of winning as a player who uses a complicated system to pick lottery numbers. There are thousands of websites touting various lottery ‘methods’ to help players pick numbers. Some of these are based on occult ‘sciences’ and can get quite outlandish, while others are based on complicated formulas and algorithms. For many players using these methods only adds to the fun and excitement of playing Powerball and other lotteries. History shows that most big Powerball winners have used the quick pick option but no matter how the numbers are picked the motivation is the same; winning Powerball.
Powerball also offers players the chance to increase non jackpot winnings by selecting the ‘Power Play’ option. Players can multiply their non jackpot winnings by as much as five times using the Power Play option. The success of the Power Play option has led several lotteries to add similar options. Winning Powerball does not require any special skills; just a lot of luck! The odds of hitting all five numbers plus the Powerball are 1 in 195,249,054.00 but even so winning Powerball is a common occurrence. In the near future most lotteries, including Powerball, are expected to offer online lottery ticket sales. Once federal regulations are clarified the shift to online lottery ticket sales will likely take place and winning Powerball will be easier than ever!