With Illinois Lottery, Anything's Possible with games like Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto and Lucky Day Lotto. Buy tickets online and find winning lottery numbers! In 2016 Kentucky continued the trend, and this past June saw New Hampshire become the fifth state to legalize internet lottery sales and online games. At least four other states—Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia—considered legislation in 2017, but to date, none has passed.

As states continue to search for ways to generate additional revenue, several states have explored the possibility of selling lottery tickets online. Online lottery ticket sales represent an untapped market for state lotteries that could see rapid expansion in the next several years and it also looks to be a hot issue in several state legislatures for 2015.

• Michigan Lottery's official online site with 24 hour instant games online. View current jackpots & winning numbers. Register for exclusive rewards and bonuses.
• Indian Players Moving Online. In the past few years, many regular Indian lotto players have turned to online lotteries hurting state lotto sales. I believe that government lotteries will need to evolve and move online or they will soon end due to better alternatives becoming readily available on the internet.
• In the states which currently offer online lottery ticket sales, it has been a profitable venture. Illinois, which has had an online lottery ticket sale system in place since 2012 and limits online purchases to $150 a day, has grossed roughly $40 million since its launch.

In 2011, an opinion issued by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) in response to an inquiry by the lotteries of Illinois and New York allowed for states to offer lottery ticket sales online. The DOJ opinion found that “garden-variety lotteries” such as those proposed by Illinois and New York that do not involve sports wagering were not within the prohibitions of the Wire Act, and therefore, tickets to those lottery games could be sold online. Previously, state lotteries had hesitated to offer ticket sales online because it was unclear if the DOJ would interpret the Wire Act broadly to encompass lottery ticket sales.

In 2012, state lotteries sold $68.78 billion in lottery tickets, with sales consistently rising. A move to allow tickets to be sold online could further increase revenues for lotteries, but is often met with resistance from brick and mortar retailers of lottery tickets who have influential lobbying efforts at the state level. This year, that influence led to Colorado enacting a bill banning the sale of online lottery tickets and Maryland passing a one year moratorium on the sale of lottery tickets online.

On the other hand, this year Michigan went online with its lottery ticket sales. The legislatures in Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey all considered bills to authorize online lottery ticket sales and the West Virginia legislature considered a bill that would authorize a study on the impact of online lottery ticket sales.

Earlier this year, the Minnesota legislature passed a bill by wide margins in both houses that would have prohibited online lottery ticket sales, but Gov. Mark Dayton (D) vetoed that bill at the urging of the state lottery director. The legislature could not override the veto because it had adjourned for the session, but many observers believe that with bipartisan support, the legislature will take the matter up again in the spring. Gov. Dayton has stated that he believes that the lottery, which began selling tickets online in February, has the unilateral authority to offer online ticket sales without legislative action.

In Florida, a bill was introduced in the state senate last month that would authorize the state lottery to create a platform to sell lottery tickets online. The text of the bill does not offer any details outlining how an online ticket sales program would work, other than that sales would be restricted to individuals over the age of 18. The bill was referred to two state senate subcommittees earlier this month. A similar bill was introduced earlier this year, but that bill died in committee.

In West Virginia, the state lottery director has indicated that the state will give serious consideration to online lottery ticket sales and he thinks it can be done without requiring a change to current state law. His comments also implied that he believed that the state could be online with lottery ticket sales in the near future. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates that would authorize a study on the iLottery and iGaming industries, but the bill did not advance out of committee.

Kentucky expects its lottery to begin sales online in Fall 2015 after selecting their online lottery platform provider last month. Officials in Kentucky are projecting $8.5 million in sales for the first year of the iLottery platform. The state plans to launch multi-state drawing games, such as Powerball, first and then launch other products in the following months.

In the states which currently offer online lottery ticket sales, it has been a profitable venture. Illinois, which has had an online lottery ticket sale system in place since 2012 and limits online purchases to $150 a day, has grossed roughly $40 million since its launch. Meanwhile, Georgia has expanded its offering of lottery games available to purchase online and has generated $6.6 million in sales.

As 2015 state legislative sessions begin in the new year, many states may begin to explore the untapped market of offering sales of lottery tickets online. Offering online lottery ticket sales makes sense as a way to generate additional revenue for states that are starved for cash and looking for additional ways to cover budget shortfalls and we are likely to see many states explore it in the upcoming year.

Kentucky is one of just a few states offering legal online lottery ticket sales, but the US online lottery numbers are increasing.

Learn more about Kentucky’s legal online lottery, the games you can play, and answers to commonly asked questions about playing the Kentucky Lottery online.

What games can I play on KY Lottery online?

There are two types of lottery games available online in Kentucky. These include:

• Draw games
• Instants online

Draw games

Which States Sell Lottery Tickets Online

The Kentucky Lottery started online sales of draw games in April 2016. At launch, the games included:

• Powerball
• Mega Millions
• KY Cash Ball

The Lucky for Life draw game has since been added, offering a top prize of $1,000 a day for life. KY Cash Ball has been renamed Kentucky Cash Ball 225 and features a $225,000 top prize.

Powerball remains one of the most popular lottery games in any state online or off. The multi-state draw game is offered in 44 states, Washington, D.C., US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Jackpots start at $40 million. Tickets are just $2 each. Drawings are Wednesday and Saturday nights. Powerball is known for its massive jackpots. The largest ever recorded was $1.6 billion.

Instants online

Many of the Kentucky Lottery instants online are electronic versions of the same scratch-off games available at more than 3,200 Kentucky Lottery retailers.

Online, the games feature a graphic interface rather than a scratch-off ticket. However, the game is the same. The object is to match prize amounts or specific symbols leading to a prize.

There are currently 34 instants online available in Kentucky, ranging in price from $0.50 to $5. However, more are being added and titles are changed regularly.

Some of the most popular instants online in Kentucky include:

• Dazzling Diamonds
• Silver Stars
• Astro Cash
• Match 4
• Super Cash Spectacular
• Crossword
• Lightning Keno

Are there Kentucky Lottery promos?

When you sign up for an account with the Kentucky Lottery online, you can can take advantage of certain special promotional offers.

Joining the Kentucky Lottery Fun Club allows you to enter eligible non-winning tickets into second-chance drawings, and receive the latest news, coupons, and information by email and text alerts.

Fun Club members can also log in to purchase tickets and and play draw games and instant play games directly on the Kentucky Lottery website.

All of the promotions on the Kentucky Lottery website surround second-chance drawings for purchased tickets.

How to sign up for the Kentucky Lottery online

Signing up for an account with the Kentucky Lottery website allows players to play draw games and instants online whenever they want.

Players must be 18 years or older, have a valid Kentucky address, and be within Kentucky state borders in order to play online. After that, enter your email address and password, load up your wallet using your credit or debit card, or by purchasing an iGift or iFunds from a licensed retailer, and you’ll be ready to play.

Players can also view past purchases and winnings history with their online account.

Signing up is a safe and secure process, and it can be done using any kind of computer, tablet, or smartphone.

How to make a deposit online

Once you have signed up for an account with the Kentucky Lottery you can deposit funds securely using one of three methods:

• Major credit cards
• Debit cards
• iGift or iFunds from a licensed retailer

The iGift and iFunds cards are available at all 3,200 Kentucky Lottery retailers across the state. The cards allow players to make online deposits without using a credit or debit card.

The deposit process is simple. In fact, you just sign into your account on the Kentucky Lottery website and click the “Deposit” tab. Next, “Choose Payment Method” and enter your card or transfer information.

Within minutes you should be ready to play games online.

What happens if I win?

Any win up to $600 is automatically deposited into your Kentucky Lottery account. However, there is a $5,000 limit of funds in any account. If a win pushes you over, a check for the remainder will be mailed to you.

Prizes of more than $600 up to and including $49,999 may be claimed online or claimed in person at a Kentucky Lottery Corporation Regional Office or at the KLC headquarters.

Prizes of more than $49,999 must be claimed in person only at KLC headquarters.

Kentucky online lottery and the law

In December 2011, the US Department of Justice released a legal opinion on the Wire Act concluding that anything outside of sports betting events falls outside the act’s reach. This gave state’s notice that sales of lottery tickets on the internet were legal.

In the spring of 2013, the KLC Board of Directors directed staff to pursue two new sources of revenue. This included Keno and online ticket sales.

Keno sales began in November 2013. It took an additional three years to develop the state’s online ticketing system. The Kentucky Lottery Corporation worked with longtime Kentucky Lottery vendor, IGT, to develop the system. It finally launched in April 2016.

Who oversees the Kentucky online lottery?

States With Online Lottery Sales

The Kentucky Lottery Corporation governs lottery games in the state. Mark F. Sommer is chair of the KLC Board of Directors. Tom Delacenserie is president and CEO.

Are the KY online lottery games fair?

The Kentucky Lottery Corporation provides oversight for all lottery games. Delacenserie is responsible for the overall management and operation of the Lottery, including assuring the accountability and integrity of the organization.

How can I protect my account?

All Kentucky Lottery accounts are password protected. Users should protect the password the same way they do with all their online accounts.

The Kentucky Lottery also has a number of safeguards in place for the protection of players and their information.

States With Online Lottery Sales

Benefits of the online lottery for Kentucky

Online Lottery Sales

The Kentucky Lottery reported ticket sales hit more than $1 billion for its 2016-2017 fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. It was the highest annual sales ever.

The dividend returned to the state treasury by the lottery was also a record. It was just over $251.6 million.

The Kentucky Lottery has earned more than $4.8 billion for the commonwealth since 1989. Dividends pay for college scholarships, grants, and literacyprograms.

Do online lottery sales take away from regular lottery sales?

States With Online Lottery Play

No. In fact, Kentucky Lottery sales reached a record$1 billion for the first fiscal year featuring online ticket sales. The overwhelming majority of the sales still occur at one of 3,200 Kentucky Lottery retailers throughout the state.