Online lottery is a type of lottery where you bet on the winning combination of numbers in a given drawing. It has a number of advantages over traditional lotteries, including being more convenient and offering a larger variety of games. However, it is important to understand how the odds are calculated before you start betting. Some online lottery sites use tricks to manipulate their players into spending more money than they should.
In the United States, there are currently 44 state-run lotteries, which offer everything from instant win scratch tickets to traditional drawing-style games with big jackpots. The majority of these lotteries only sell tickets in-person, but many have started selling subscriptions online or have mobile apps to allow players to place their bets from anywhere in the world.
There are two main types of online lottery. The first is a website that hosts the lottery game itself, which draws the winning combinations. This type of site is the safest option, as you can verify that you are dealing with an official state lottery provider. The second type of online lottery is a website that uses a standard lotto game to take bets. These websites are typically less regulated, and you should be wary of any that claim to have a secret formula for winning.
In the US, online lotteries are only legal in some states, and they must be operated by a licensed gaming operator. Federal law prohibits the sale of lotto tickets across state lines, so most legal online lotteries use geolocation technology to make sure that anyone making a purchase is located within state lines.