Online lottery is a system of betting on the results of lotteries using the internet. It isn’t government-run, but privately run sites act as middlemen for official lottery games such as Mega Millions and Powerball. Generally, players place bets on specific numbers rather than on the overall outcome of a particular lottery game.

Legal online lottery in the US started with Illinois’s launch of its lottery website back in 2012. More recently, a number of states have made it easier to buy tickets online. Those include Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. This expansion comes after the Department of Justice reversed its opinion on the Wire Act, clearing the way for lottery sales to take place over the internet.

Regardless of where you play, it’s always important to remember that the odds of winning a lottery are incredibly low. While a few players may get lucky and win a jackpot, the vast majority will not. The best way to minimize your risk is to set a limit on how much you can spend and stick to it. Many lottery sites allow players to set daily, weekly or monthly spending limits.

A good lottery site will be able to offer its customers a variety of payment options, including credit cards and QR codes. This will make the process of playing the lottery a more convenient one for everyone involved. In addition, it should provide its users with a customer service that is available around the clock.