Everyone dreams of winning the lottery one day, never having to worry about money again, but what many people don’t know is there are several avenues available online that allow you to participate in the lotto without even having to leave the house. We walk you through the different online lotto games that are available to play on the Internet and explain how you can buy lotto tickets online in the hopes that today could be your lucky day.
What is the lottery?
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know what the lottery is, but for those who don’t know, the lottery (also called the lotto) is the biggest and most popular game of chance there is. To participate, players purchase lotto tickets and choose a certain amount of numbers that they deem to be lucky. The winning lottery numbers are then drawn at random, and anyone who chose the winning sequence of numbers becomes an instant winner, with wins usually consisting of high value, life-changing amounts. Players who chose several winning numbers but not all are also eligible for prizes that, while not as lucrative as the jackpots, can still be very pleasing.
Ultimately, the lottery sells the dream of getting rich quick, and while the odds of winning are incredibly low, the possibility of the rewards is enough to lure millions of Aussies into playing the lottery. It requires absolutely no skill or strategy to play, with all wins based purely on luck. It can be played by anyone over the age of 18.
What’s the difference between online and offline lotto?
The only difference between land based and online lotto is the way tickets are purchased. When playing lotto in real life, you must venture out to your closest lottery outlet to purchase your tickets using cash or EFTPOS, then register your chosen lotto numbers with the retailer. Lottery tickets are available from outlets like certified lottery kiosks, newsagencies, convenience stores, petrol stations and hotels.
When playing the lottery online, you sign up for an account with a certified online lottery vendor, which is free to do. You then click to choose which lottery game you wish to play in, then follow the prompts to select the dates you want to participate and then choose your numbers. Once your tickets are all set, you then make an online payment using a secure payment method like credit card, debit card or bank transfer. Your tickets are stored in your online lotto account so there’s no chance of losing your paper ticket ever again.
What lotto games can I play online?
Aussies can play the lotto online via the official Tatts Lotto website, or at specialised lottery sites like CrownLotto, Lottoland and Planet Lottery. For further information about the online lotto vendors available and the different lottery games you can play, we highly recommend a visit to OnlineLotto.com.au for detailed information about the online lotto games available and how you can participate.
The Australian lotto draws available to play online include:
- Oz Lotto
- Monday, Wednesday and Saturday X Lotto
- Powerball
- Super 66
- Lucky Strike
- Set for Life
- The Pools
- Keno
- Lucky Lotteries
Thanks to the advent of lottery sites like Lottoland, Australian punters can now participate in all kinds of international lotteries including:
- US Powerball
- US Mega Millions
- EuroJackpot
- Cash4Life
- Keno 24/7
- UK Lotto
- German Lotto
- WorldMillions
- Swedish Lotto
- Super Enalotto
- EuroMillions
- Mega-Sena
Is it legal for Aussies to play the lotto online?
Absolutely – it is perfectly safe and legal for Australians to play the lottery online at any certified online lottery outlet, including Tatts Lotto, SA Lotteries, NSW Lotteries, OzLotteries and Lottoland. These sites are all licensed and regulated to operate within Australia and offer safe, legal real money lottery services to any Australian citizen over the age of 18. Keep in mind you will be required to provide proof of identification when playing the lotto online, so you will need to enter all your correct personal information when signing up for an account.
Online lotto providers also fully support responsible gambling practices, offering self-exclusion policies, play limits and assistance for anyone seeking help with gambling addiction.
How to pick lucky lottery numbers
The golden rule of the lottery is to remember that it is a game of chance, with all wins resulting purely as a product of blind luck. Many lottery winning hopefuls will try to convince themselves there is a way to predict the outcome of an upcoming lotto draw based on previous results, or astrology, or all kinds of reasoning, but it is vital you remember that the lottery is a luck based game and there is nothing you can do to influence the outcome of a draw. Keeping this in mind, never bet more than you can stand to lose and remember that playing the lotto is supposed to be a fun, exciting game that’s best played with the understanding that the odds are against you.
In saying that, players have all kinds of reasons for choosing the lotto numbers they do. Some are picked completely at random (and you can even buy QuickPick or EziPick tickets where the computer randomly selects numbers on your behalf), while others are picked using a more thoughtful process. Many lottery players have lucky numbers they hold dear to their hearts, based on personal influences like birthdays, addresses, ages or special dates, while others may employ numerology to choose numbers deemed to be fortunate and avoid the unlucky.
In the end, it doesn’t matter how you choose your lottery numbers, as the chance of them being drawn are as good as any other.