The lottery is a fun way to play your favorite numbers and win big prizes. With lottery online, you can do just that from the comfort of your own home. Online lottery sites are a great way to play state and multi-state lotteries from anywhere, and most of them offer free trials so that you can try them out before you commit to a subscription. These sites also make it easy to buy tickets and keep track of your winnings.

Several states and even the District of Columbia now sell their state lotteries online, as well as other games like scratchers and instant-win games. The best online lottery sites have a wide variety of games, offer secure payment methods, and support a range of languages and currencies. They are also fully licensed and regulated, and prize winnings are paid out from insurance policies rather than from their own accounts.

There are a few different ways to purchase lottery tickets online, including using a third-party courier service. These services have reps who buy tickets on your behalf and scan them so you can access the ticket information. These aren’t always legal in the US, but they can be a convenient option if your state doesn’t sell its tickets online.

When you buy tickets through an online lottery site, a portion of the proceeds is often used to support state programs and charities. For example, Illinois Lottery profits have gone to local schools, Special Olympics, and homeless prevention.