Across the United States, there are 45 individual and state-wide lotteries. Most states run their own lottery while others direct their revenue to state organizations and charities.
The US has a long history of lotteries. Newspaper ads dating back to the colonial era indicate that hundreds of lotteries existed. However, the United States has only recently begun to legalize online lotteries.
The first US state to offer a lottery was New Hampshire. In 1964, New Hampshire became the first official state to offer a lottery.
Since then, the states of Alabama, Hawaii and Alaska do not offer a state-wide lottery. However, several Northeastern states are looking to legalize online lotteries.
Some states have a minimum gambling age. For example, Arizona has a minimum age of 21. Other states require players to be a native resident of the state. There are also betting firms that allow players to wager on specific numbers. However, the official lottery operators are different from these betting companies.
Some states also offer apps that allow players to play lotto. However, most websites are primarily used to find lottery ticket locations and contact information.
A few online lotteries offer a more comprehensive service, including Instant Games. These games are similar to casino-style games, but are played from a computer or mobile device. Some lottery websites also allow players to track their location. The prize amount can be as low as $1 or as high as $200,000.
The US has a long history of lotteries, but the online lottery is just now beginning to catch on. It is still not as popular as sports betting.