Lottery online offers the chance to play a centuries-old tradition with modern convenience. Its popularity grows as jackpots – such as the Mega Millions and Powerball – hit sky-high sums. However, critics point to the fact that lottery games can drain budgets. And they often target low income groups, with studies showing they account for a disproportionate share of lottery players.

Buying lottery tickets can be difficult when you live a long way from the nearest newsagent or are on a tight schedule. Luckily, many states now offer the option to buy online lottery tickets. And while the options differ from state to state, you can find a good variety of US-based sites that offer this service.

Some of these websites will allow you to choose your numbers, while others will let you select a ticket type, such as a straight or box selection. They will also allow you to check your numbers before the draw and see previous results. They will also have a calculator to show you how much you could win if you were to purchase the same numbers each time.

Some of the online lotteries will only sell a limited number of lottery games, while others will offer a wider selection of draws from around the world. This is a good option for those who want to play in more than one country. Those who buy their tickets in stores will usually only have access to the lotteries offered by the store they bought them from.