Best Online Lottery in India

Top Online Lotteries

After much research, we have created the above list of the best online lottery in India. The sites mentioned are genuine. However, if in doubt, please check their site for more information. You may come across some Indian lottery sites. Please remember they are illegal as the lottery sites cannot be run from within India.

History of Lottery in India

There are 28 states and 8 union territories in India. Out of these, only 13 states have state-run lotteries. There is no general ban on lotteries in India. Each state can decide whether they wish to enable lotteries by the Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998.

State lotteries are government lotteries. One of the reasons for having state lotteries is to help the government raise funds. People buy tickets with numbers and win if their numbers get drawn. There are around 5 to 6 digits on the ticket. You win the prize based on how many numbers from your ticket match the drawn numbers. 

For a simple 6-digit lottery, the probability of winning the jackpot can be 1:13983816. You win a jackpot if all the numbers on your ticket match the drawn numbers. A lottery, in other words, is a game of chance. There is no skill involved here.

Names of Indian States Allowing State Lotteries

State lotteries are not online lotteries. They are paper-based lotteries. The following 13 Indian states have their state lotteries:

1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Assam
3. Goa
4. Kerala
5. Madhya Pradesh
6. Maharashtra
7. Manipur
8. Meghalaya
9. Mizoram
10. Nagaland
11. Punjab
12. Sikkim
13. West Bengal

Kerala was the first state to start its state lotteries in 1967 after a total nationwide ban on private lotteries. Other states followed after it. For a state to have its lottery, it must follow existing laws. If a state goes against the law, the Central government takes the required legal action.

For example, the draws have to take place within the state. Another example will be if particular state law requires that their lotteries can be sold only within the state, and no one residing outside that state can buy it. However, this law doesn’t stop lottery-prohibiting state residents from playing the lottery. They can purchase international lotteries online.

What is Online Lottery in India?

In India, an online lottery is an international lottery game. State-run lottery tickets cannot be sold online. The only Indian lottery that existed online was Playwin, which shut down in 2019. 

A lottery is a form of gambling. The Public Gambling Act 1867 doesn’t discuss the internet or online gambling. Since offshore sites offer online lotteries, Indian residents, even those residing in states where lotteries are banned, can buy online lottery tickets. The draw of these lotteries also happens overseas. Hence Indian law doesn’t apply to online lotteries.

Many online lottery sites have sprung up over the years. Not all may be genuine. It is also better to check the website thoroughly before registering and depositing your money.

An excellent online lottery site has more games to offer, fair ticket pricing, prize slabs/tiers, good jackpot size, and will be regulated.

Some lottery sites act as middlemen/agents.

Advantages of Buying an Online Lottery Ticket?

The state-run lotteries are paper lotteries. Compared to them, online lotteries seem to have the upper hand.

• Online lotteries do not involve paper tickets. There is no risk of the tickets getting damaged.
• You do not need to worry about an online lottery ticket getting lost. It is saved on the computer and easily accessible when logging in to the lottery site.
• There are high-payout jackpots to be won in online lotteries.
• You can choose your lottery ticket numbers.
• An email will be sent to you when you win.
• The winning amount gets transferred to your registered bank account hassle-free.

Is it Safe to Play Online Lotteries?

The online world is a big wide world, so choosing the right online lottery site may need some research. You can trust your money with several genuine sites and enjoy playing their listed games. But, there may be a few fraudulent sites too that you need to avoid. Before you decide to register with any website, check their authenticity. 

You need to check the following before playing at any online lotteries site:

• The laws of the Indian state you reside in. Not all states have legalised lotteries.
• The online lottery site should run from overseas addresses and have a valid license from a reputed authority/jurisdiction.
• They must accept Indian rupees.
• Players should have alternative payment options like net banking in India, UPI, GooglePay, Phonepe, Paytm, Skrill, Neteller, Visa, Mastercard, and Cryptocurrency. Entering CVV numbers on specific sites could invite trouble financially.
• The draw should take place overseas. 
• If you receive any email from the site, please check if it is really from them. Some hackers create email ids with almost similar names. Hence be sure before you click any links emailed to you.
• Use your personal computer instead of a public one. The latter has a high risk of getting hacked. Also, do not use an open wi-fi connection.
• Make sure you can contact the online lottery site whenever needed. You can find the details on their website under the ‘contact us’ section. 
• The site should have an SSL certificate to ensure your information is safe with them.

How to Buy an Online Lottery Ticket?

Though some Indian states have banned lotteries, online lotteries registered at an offshore address are legal throughout India. Some states tried banning all types of online gaming. Do check the laws of your state before you register on any site.

The steps to buying an online lottery ticket are simple.

1. You must be over 18 years old to play legally.
2. Find a genuine online lottery site.
3. Register on that site.
4. Deposit money.
5. Select the lottery you want to play.
6. Choose the numbers.
7. Place/submit your ticket.

Check the results online on the draw date.

Online Lottery versus Lotto

Though many mistake these words to mean the same thing, they are two different words. To play the online lottery, you need to buy a ticket. Whereas, lotto involves betting on the lottery outcome without purchasing a ticket.

The lotto betting price will be similar to a lottery price, and the same applies to their prizes. Winnings from a lottery are paid by the lottery operator, while for a lotto, the winnings get paid differently.

Lotto follows an insurance model. Every lotto bet a player places is insured. Small wins get paid using the sales revenue. Big wins/jackpots get paid using the site’s insurance model.