Online lottery is a fast-growing area of the gaming industry. While the big jackpots and national draws grab most of the attention, there are many smaller games that offer great odds. Some are even free to play! However, you must be of legal age to participate. In the United States, this is 18.

The first step in playing lottery online is to register for an account. Then, you can deposit funds into your account through a variety of methods including PayPal, ACH bank transfer and Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards. Once you have money in your account, you can purchase lottery tickets.

Most lottery sites make it easy to buy tickets by presenting them in an interface that looks like the physical tickets you’re used to buying at the store. You can select your numbers and confirm your transaction. You can also choose to purchase tickets for a single draw or multiple draws, or you can opt for subscriptions that let you pay on a pay-as-you-go basis or save money by purchasing multi-draw packages.

Most lottery online services also help players manage their winnings. They’ll track your entries and notify you if you win. They’ll also handle the taxes for prizes over $600. This is because the IRS requires them to withhold 24% federal tax plus whatever local rate is in effect for the winner’s state. In addition, most lotto websites will also send you a W2-G form to submit to the IRS in the event you’re a winner.