While traditional lotteries are run by government agencies, most online lotteries are run by private companies. These companies act as middlemen between players and the official government lottery. While these online sites still offer traditional lottery games, they are far more diverse. In some countries, players can participate in both national and international games.
As a result, online lotteries are rapidly growing. The convenience of playing the lottery online is a compelling factor for many people. Some states, such as Massachusetts, have already approved online lottery sites, and more are likely to do so in the future. Online lotteries also offer instant win scratch cards and subscriptions to popular scratch card games.
The online lottery industry is expected to grow substantially in the coming years, thanks to rapid digitalisation. In 2017, around 49% of the world’s population had access to the internet. This number is expected to increase steadily. Additionally, the number of smartphone owners has increased. According to a recent study, 8 out of 10 people in developing nations own a mobile phone, and that figure is set to rise over the next several years.
As with traditional lotteries, playing the online lottery has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the most significant differences is that the rules for playing online may be more complicated than for conventional lottery games. However, online lotteries generally accept a wide range of payment methods. For example, most of them accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Some also accept Bitcoin transactions. TheLotter, for example, offers 30 different payment methods. Most online lotteries also let you know if you’ve won via SMS or email. In some cases, you can even collect your winnings in person.