In the US, Illinois was the first state to introduce an online lottery. The state set the standard for success. Kentucky and Michigan followed suit. And now, New Hampshire wants to join the list. While the federal government has not prohibited online lottery sales, states like Illinois have. And the success they’ve had is setting the bar for the rest of the country.
Illinois became the first US state to offer online lotteries
In 2012, Illinois became the first US state to offer online lottery ticket sales after the US Justice Department declared it legal. The Illinois Lottery has six draw games, including two multi-state games, and offers instant tickets and fast play games. Lottery revenues are used to fund public education and infrastructure projects in the state. In addition, Illinois lottery revenues have helped fund research on breast cancer and multiple sclerosis. The lottery also provides funds to veterans and nonprofit organizations.
After Illinois became the first US state to offer online lottery sales, it launched a website where players can purchase their lottery tickets. The state’s lottery officials are happy about the move and say that it will increase revenue for the state. The first online lottery ticket was sold at 7:03 a.m. on July 30. In the future, the Illinois Lottery is considering allowing online casino games. They hope that these games will generate between $78 million and $118 million per year for the state.
Michigan has set the standard for success
The state of Michigan has been a pioneer in online lottery play, launching a number of firsts for the industry. Among these were its first online lottery games and payments, omnichannel promotions, and affiliate marketing program. These innovations have helped the state attract players from different media and contribute to its long-term success.
The state’s retail lottery also continues to set record-breaking sales. Its instant-win sales alone totaled $116.3 million in 2019 – nearly a third of its total lotto sales. In 2017, the lottery raised $924 million for local school districts, a contribution that has continued to rise in recent years. In addition, three cents of every dollar spent on Michigan lottery purchases go toward the state’s ongoing operations.
Kentucky became the next state to offer online lotteries
The Kentucky Lottery Corporation has presented a timeline for its online lottery ticket sales platform. It plans to launch multi-state drawing games first, and then expand to other lottery products. Online lotto sales are an untapped market for state lotteries, and could see rapid growth over the next several years.
The Kentucky Lottery also offers mobile apps for its players. They can check their ticket balances, see their winnings, and more. The app even keeps track of current games in the state and boasts winning statistics.
New Hampshire is seeking to legalize online lotteries
New Hampshire is one of the few states that has not legalized online gambling. The lottery has been legal in the state since 2001, but New Hampshire has not been very open to other forms of gambling. However, it has legalized pari-mutuel horse race betting, a form of betting on horse races.
Lotteries have a long history in New Hampshire. The state government created them as a way to generate revenue. The lottery drew in out-of-state residents and gave the money back to the state government. This practice caught on and neighboring states legalized lotteries to encourage their residents to play. Soon, all but five states had legalized lottery games.