Online Lottery

By Noel Davies on
Whether you’re looking to play national or international lottery draws online, we’ve got you covered. Compare.bet has selected the best lottery sites on the market, so you can set the ball rolling.
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1. The Pools
Loaded 4 Life - £1 per bet

Reviewed, rated & tested by our team

George Edwards Headshot
"Enjoy plenty of lottery and sport offerings from this world-renowned site"
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New Customer Offer Top prize only available to residents of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Loaded 4 Life Lotto is a bet on the outcome of the Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto draw. See Loaded 4 Life Lotto FAQs for more information. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
2. Lottomart
Get a Free Lotto Bet + 10 Free Spins on Your First Bet

Reviewed & verified by our team

"Make the most of this lottery site that has been exquisitely designed for mobile, as well as offering new players 100% up to £100."
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New Customer Offer Min £2 in lotto bets on first purchase to qualify. 10 free spins awarded on Sweet Success Megaways. New players only. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Full T&C's apply. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
3. Jackpot.com
Buy 5 Get 1 Free

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"Get to the heart of the action with this excellent new lottery site, boasting over 25 different lotteries for you to enjoy"
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New Customer Offer Buy 5 scratchcards and get 1 for free 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
4. Multi Lotto
78%
100% Welcome Bonus

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"This established and widely trusted UK brand offers not just a great range of lottery games, but also a fantastic live casino"
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New Customer Offer When using a deposit bonus on Multilotto, your deposit will be multiplied with a certain percentage up to a certain amount. For example, if you deposit €10 using a 100% deposit bonus you will be rewarded with €10 extra, leaving you with a total of €20 to use at any of the lotteries offered on Multilotto.com 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
Editor's Choice 5. Giant Lottos.com
67%
100% Welcome Bonus

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"Elegant designs and enormous jackpots are just some of the reasons why Giant Lottos is one of the most popular lottery sites out there"
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New Customer Offer In order to claim your 100% welcome bonus, simply make deposit into your account within 7 days of registering with Giant Lottos. Your bonus money will then be automatically loaded into your 'Gold Coin' account as soon as your deposit has been successfully made via credit card, Skrill, Neteller, token or other e-wallet. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
6. Lottosend
68%
Deposit £25, Play with £45

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"With one of the widest selection of games on the market and promotional offers hand picked by an expert team, what is not to love about Lottosend"
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New Customer Offer The Deposit Deal Bonus is awarded to members upon making their first deposit in their Lottosend account (Initial Deposit, Cashback Bonus, First Cashback Bonus and First Time Bonus all refer to the same Deposit Bonus). • The Deposit Deal bonus is granted only one (1) time per player and members who benefit from this bonus will not be eligible for any other first deposit promotions. Similarly, members who have benefited from another first deposit offer shall not be eligible for this bonus, unless stated otherwise. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
Top Games Selection 7. Lotto Kings
64%
Triple Satisfaction Guarantee

Reviewed & verified by our team

"The usability of Lotto Kings is what sets this site apart, with a 30 day protection on net losses for new customers only adding to that"
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New Customer Offer Lottokings will refund your money if you do not win any prizes in the first 30 days, if you aren’t completely satisfied with our product or if the site or service are not up to standard. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
Modern Design & Graphics 8. Win Trillions
63%
Spend £2, Get 1 VIP Point

Reviewed & verified by our team

"A first class VIP programme is yours to make the most of when you sign up to Win Trillions"
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Customer Offer From buying lottery tickets, syndicates, Millionaire Raffles, to scratch off tickets you'll be rewarded just for being a member. You receive 1 VIP Loyalty Point for every £ 2 you spend. VIP points can be redeemed for discounts and free plays. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org
🏆 Best Overall Score:
78%
🎁 Largest Free Bet:
£45
🤝 Highest Deposit Match:
100%
💷 Minimum Deposit:
£10

Of course, lottery is a game of chance, and the odds of hitting the jackpot are pretty slim, but It’s the what if factor of lottery that makes it such a popular game and draws you in time and time again. It’s now easier than ever to join in on the lotto action, thanks to online lottery sites. You’ll be spoiled for choice, with a wide variety of lotteries to choose from and jackpots ranging from thousands to millions of pounds.

If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to online lotteries, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve picked out the top lottery sites, so all you need to do is compare, sign up and start playing. Check out this guide to get to grips with all you need to know before you get going.

Best Lottery Site
Jackpot.com
Jackpot.com
Buy 5 Get 1 Free
New Customer Offer Buy 5 scratchcards and get 1 for free 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org

How do Lottery Sites Work?

There are two ways to get involved with online lottery: you can either buy lottery tickets through a third party site, or bet on the lottery numbers that come up in a draw. Let’s take a look at how each option works.

Lottery Concierge Services

Lottery concierge services purchase tickets on your behalf. These sites allow you to play lotteries from around the world, thanks to staff local to the country of the lottery you’re playing. You’ll simply login, place your order and the ticket will be bought for you and a record of your ticket uploaded to your online lottery account. These lottery sites will usually monitor the lottery draws, and notify you if your ticket is a winner.

You won’t usually pay any more for a ticket than you would if you bought the ticket yourself in that country, but these sites usually have service fees.

Lottery Betting

Lottery betting works slightly different. Rather than playing the lottery, you’re placing a bet on the outcome of the draw. You’ll still pick lottery numbers, but you aren’t actually buying a ticket. The stakes are usually the same price as a ticket, but rather than contributing to the lottery fund, the money goes to the betting site. Likewise, payouts are usually the same as if you were actually playing the lottery, but it’s the lottery site, rather than the lottery operator that pays out.

Some lottery sites also give players the chance to bet on certain individual numbers being drawn. Of course, the more numbers you bet on, the higher your chance of landing a win. The odds will be the same for each number, given that lottery is a game of chance, and these bets will be paid out in a similar way to a sports bet.

Online lottery betting sites operate on an insurance-based model. This essentially means that they partner with insurance companies to insure each bet that is made. It’s this insurance company that covers the cost of your winnings if you do get lucky

Best Lotteries Available Online

One of the best things about playing lottery online is that you get access to a range of different draws. Whether you want to play it closer to home, or take your chance on international draws, online lottery sites make this possible. Compare.bet has picked out some of the most exciting lotteries that you can get involved with online.

  • Euromillions – Euromillions is played across nine European countries, but online lottery sites give players around the world the chance to get involved. You play by choosing five numbers from 1-50 and two bonus numbers from 1-12, with draws every Tuesday and Friday. EuroMillions has 13 prize tiers and, though the jackpot is capped at €190 million, it has been reached several times in the past, meaning there’s plenty of potential for winning here.
  • US Powerball – The Powerball is the world’s richest weekly lottery and has a minimum jackpot of $40 million. With no cap on how high the top prize can go, the US Powerball holds the record for the biggest ever lottery payout – a whopping $1.586 billion that was split between three lucky tickets in 2016. With draws every Wednesday and Saturday at 10.59 pm EST, the concept is simple. All you need to do is pick five numbers between 1 and 69 and an additional ‘Powerball’ number from 1 to 26 to grab your chance of winning a share of the nine prize tiers.
  • MegaMillions – Another US title, MegaMillions is the second richest weekly lottery. Like Powerball, you’ll need to match 6 numbers to hit the jackpot, but with MegaMillions you choose between 1 and 70 for the five main numbers and 1 to 25 for the bonus, so the odds are slightly longer. The jackpot also starts at $40 million and is uncapped, with the biggest win being a $656 million payout made in 2012. Draws are held at 10.59 pm EST every Tuesday and Friday, giving you plenty of chances to get involved.
  • El Gordo – The name of Spanish Christmas Lottery draw means ‘The Big One’ – a reference to the huge jackpot prize that reached the heights of £2.3 billion in the past – making this Spanish lottery one of the biggest anywhere on the planet. Results are drawn in the run up to Christmas each year, with tickets selected from a hopper containing 100,000 numbered tickets, ranging from 00000 to 99999. Players buy tickets with a five number combination, and the matching ticket hits the big jackpot, though there are smaller prizes to be won, depending on number combinations.
  • SuperEnalotto – This Italian lottery is one of the biggest in Europe, with a record jackpot of €177 million. To play, you simply pick six numbers from 1-90. You can also play the ‘SuperStar’ variation at some online lottery sites – simply pick a bonus number and if everything matches up, your prize will be bigger. With draws every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the jackpot builds up quickly. There are five other prize tiers for the regular lotto and seven for the SuperStar, so there’s plenty of cash to be won!
  • EuroJackpot – This international lottery is played across 18 different countries, offering a maximum jackpot of €90 million. Players must choose five numbers from 1-50 and two ‘Euro’ numbers from 1-10, and winning a prize in one of the 12 prize tiers will depend on how many numbers they match. EuroJackpot draws taken place every Friday night in Helsinki.

These are just a few of the many of lotteries on offer at the best online lottery sites, with some offering bettors the chance to enter over 50 different draws. Use our carefully selected list to browse and compare the full range of games and prizes and find one that’s right for you.

Why Play at an Online Lottery Site?

So why would you play lottery online when you could easily buy a ticket for a local lottery at a retailer? Let’s take a look at why people use online lottery sites.

Overseas Jackpots

The best thing about lottery sites is that you can enter draws that would be otherwise inaccessible. This opens up a whole new world of potential mind-blowing jackpots. For example, while UK residents can’t easily buy US Powerball tickets from a retailer, online lottery sites allow you to buy tickets and bet on the draw of this lottery.

Syndicates

Online lottery sites make joining a lottery syndicate easier than ever before. Joining a syndicate means that you’re part of a group of players who buy tickets collectively. So if you buy one ticket as part of a syndicate of 100 and your numbers win, you’ll bag a percentage of the prize. The more tickets or ‘shares’ you buy, the larger your win. This is a great way to boost your chances without breaking the bank!

Bonuses

Another big plus of playing the lottery online, at one our recommended sites, is that you can benefit from some great bonuses. Matched deposits, free bets and reduced prices are just some of the top welcome bonuses up for grabs at lottery sites. Many sites even reward regular lottery players with loyalty scheme promotions. For example, WinTrillions’ VIP loyalty program rewards one loyalty point for every £2 you spend. Once you’ve collected enough you can redeem points for discounts and free plays.

Scratch Games

Online lottery draws are at set times, so if you can’t wait to get a slice of the action, online lottery scratch cards might be for you. These are simple, instant win games, available at a range of the best lottery sites. Scratch games odds are more favourable than traditional lotteries, so they can be useful for picking up a few smaller wins.

How to Pay and Play at an Online Lottery Site:

  1. Choose your favourite online lottery site
    The first step to potentially bagging a life-changing jackpot is to figure out which lottery site is best for you. This is where we come in – we’ve searched the web far and wide to bring you our carefully curated list of the top online lottery sites. We only recommend sites that are licensed by regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commision (UKGC), so you’re guaranteed a 100% safe and fair place to play when you pick from our list. You can use our expert reviews to compare the best jackpots and bonuses on offer and pick out the best lottery site for you.
  2. Create your account
    Found a site? Follow our link to head straight to the registration page. From there, you’ll be able to create an account within a matter of seconds- all you’ll need is some basic personal information. If an enticing welcome bonus has caught your eye, make sure to opt in when you sign up so that you don’t miss out. Remember that the biggest bonus numbers aren’t always the best deals- check the terms and conditions so that you understand exactly what you’re signing up to.
  3. Make a deposit
    Making deposits at our recommended lottery sites is a piece of cake. Simply head over to the cashier page, select your preferred payment method and deposit amount and click confirm. Whether you want to pay by bank transfer, bank card, e-wallets, or prepaid cards, you’re sure to find a site that suits you. Decided the welcome bonus is for you? It’ll usually be credited to your account when you’ve made your deposit.
  4. Pick & play
    With the funds in your account, you’re ready to get going! Find the draw you want to play, select your numbers and buy your ticket or place your bet. Whether you want to play overseas jackpots, raffles or jackpots, you’ll find it all at the best lottery sites. Good luck!

What Else do I Need to Know?

Playing the lottery is probably the most simple form of gambling out there, so as you can imagine, there isn’t too much in the way of rules to be explained. However, there are a few lottery tips we have to share and important information you should be aware of before playing online lotteries.

Tax

Some lotteries offer something that doesn’t crop up too often – the chance to get your hands on tax-free cash. For example, if you live in the UK and are lucky enough to win the UK lotto jackpot, you won’t be taxed on your winnings as they are not classed as income. However, you will pay tax on any interest you earn on your returns, as well as gift and inheritance tax on money you give or leave to people.

For other lotteries, winnings may be taxed according to the country or state where the ticket was purchased, as well as your country of residence. If you’re lucky enough to win big on one of the US draws, then you can expect to be paying a fair amount of tax on your prize. At TheLotter, for example, tickets for Powerball and MegaMillions are purchased in Oregon, so any big winnings would be taxed by 38%. Non-jackpot prizes are generally pre-taxed, but jackpots aren’t, so it’s important to be aware of rules before you play.

When it comes to online lottery betting sites, if you win on a taxed lottery then generally the site will pay out the winnings as if you had bought a regular ticket. This means that the prize you’re awarded will be theoretically “taxed”, as if you were a resident of the country in which the lottery is held.

The Odds

As with any kind of online betting, it’s important to be aware of the odds you’re gambling on. Everyone who plays lotteries know that the odds are slim, but you may not be aware of just how slim they can be. Lottery odds depend on how many numbers are drawn and the possible range of each number. Generally, the bigger the prize, the higher the odds. For example, the odds of hitting the Powerball jackpot are around 1 in 292,201,338, while you have a 1 in 45,457,474 shot at winning the UK National Lottery, so it’s fair to say that your chances are pretty small.

The good news is that most lotteries come with several prize tiers, so you don’t have to have a complete set of matching numbers to earn some lottery winnings. Both the Powerball and MegaMillions lotteries have nine prize tiers in total, whilst Euromillions has thirteen. The odds of winning smaller prizes are much better – 1 in 38 for Powerball and 1 in 22 for Euromillions, for example. Keep in mind, though, that whilst you may be able to win prizes for matching just one or two numbers, these will be very small – usually only a few pounds.

Keep Within Your Limits

Some online lotteries offer jackpots that are beyond colossal. The biggest lottery jackpot to date was a massive $1.586 billion paid out by the US Powerball in 2016, which was split between three lucky tickets. The thought of winning such a life changing sum can make it tempting to buy multiple tickets to improve your chances of winning, but it’s important to always keep a level head when playing the lottery. Individual tickets might seem cheap, but the price can quickly add up if you don’t keep track of your spending.

When playing at the best online lottery sites you can activate features to help manage your gambling, just like you can at online casinos and sports betting sites. Deposit and loss limits, time out sessions and self exclusions are all tools that can be used to help ensure you play responsibly and don’t end up gambling more than you can afford to lose.

Ready to Play Online Lottery Games?

No other games offer a prize pool that even comes close to touching the jackpots that you can win playing online lotteries. With millions of players buying tickets each week and ever-growing rollovers, now is the perfect time to jump in and join the fun. All you have to do is browse and compare the top lottery sites from our list, get signed up and you could be the next multi-million pound winner!

Are online lottery games fair?

Yes. All our recommended lottery sites hold a valid gambling licence and are regulated by governing bodies, such as the UKGC. The balls and drawing machines used are independently audited and verified by trusted third party agencies, so you can rest assured that any online lottery results are completely random.

How do I receive my winnings?

You will be made aware of all wins by a notification email sent by your chosen lottery site you’re playing at. Small wins will be credited to your account, from which you can withdraw them into your bank account. For bigger winnings, the collection process will vary depending on the site you play at and the lottery you’ve chosen to participate in. You may have to choose between accepting annuity payments or a lump sum, which can affect the tax you pay on winnings. If you’re lucky enough to hit a huge jackpot, you may even need to travel to the country of the lottery to claim your win.

What's the difference between a lottery and a raffle?

In a lottery there’s no guaranteed winner. If no one’s ticket matches the winning numbers, the lottery rolls over and the jackpot increases until a player lands a winning combination. A raffle, on the other hand, guarantees a winner – all the purchased tickets are grouped together and a winner is picked out.

Can I play online lotteries on my mobile?

Yes. All of the top lottery sites on our list have mobile-friendly websites which provide an excellent platform to play all your favourite lottery games on the go. Some lottery online betting sites also offer native apps, which can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices.

Is there a strategy to playing or betting on the lottery?

Unfortunately not. Lotto results are completely random, whether you’re playing USA, European or UK lottery. This means there’s no secret as to how to bet on the lottery to predict the winning numbers- it’s all about luck!

The people behind this page

Compare.bet's online gambling content experts helped write, edit and check this page:

Noel is a writer for Compare.bet with over a decade of experience writing on topics including online casino and sports betting.