Among the oldest forms of legal gambling in the US, lotteries have been around for centuries. Today, there are 45 state lotteries, plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In addition, Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts operate lotteries, while New Jersey and Rhode Island are in the process of legalizing online lottery ticket sales.
Lotteries are governed by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The organization is made up of 33 member states, and the lottery proceeds are distributed to schools, cities, towns, and pension systems. The biggest national lottery in the US is Powerball, which has odds of one in 292,201,338, and jackpots that frequently exceed $1 billion.
Multi-state lotteries share a pool of numbers, allowing for more ticket sales. Mega Millions is a popular multi-state lottery that features a large jackpot. Tickets for the lottery cost $2, and players must match five numbers from a pool of 70 to win the jackpot. The odds of winning vary by lottery, but in general the odds of winning the jackpot are greater for smaller lotteries.
New Hampshire was the first US state to offer lottery in 1964, and it is still the largest lottery in the country. The lottery features a variety of draw games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Pick 3, Pick 4, and Keno. The lottery also offers e-Instant games, which allow players to play online games with their smartphone or tablet.
North Dakota started the lottery in 2004. The lottery features Powerball, Mega Millions, and two other multi-state lottery games. In addition to these, the lottery also features the Lucky for Life game. The ticket costs $2 and players must match five numbers from a 69-number pool to win the jackpot.
Pennsylvania’s online lottery launched last year. In its first year of operation, it reported sales of $4 billion in game tickets. While Pennsylvania does not offer the Mega Millions lottery online, it does offer three multi-state games. The lottery also offers a variety of in-house games.
Massachusetts operates the Massachusetts Lottery, which features eight draw games. The lottery also offers several local games, including Keno, Mega Millions, and Lotto America. In addition, the lottery has an active Keno draw that features a $100,000 top prize. The lottery also offers a variety of instant win games, which are similar to scratch-off games.
West Virginia is another state with an online lottery. Residents can play three multi-state games, including Powerball, and a few in-house games. The lottery’s proceeds go to education programs, tourism, and public school construction. The lottery also has a variety of draw games, including MegaMillions, Keno, Pick 3, Pick 4, and Lotto America.
The California State Lottery was founded in 1984, and it is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association. The lottery proceeds are distributed to state pension systems, colleges, and cities.
The Virginia Lottery is another multi-state lottery that offers online games. The lottery proceeds go to public school construction and renovation, as well as to public school teacher pension systems.