Our Review Process

Your first experience with any lottery site is most likely the sign-up process, so we pay careful attention to the details here. How long did the process take? Was it easy? What details did it require? Did the online lottery reassure us that our data was safe? We ask these questions to find any hitches in the sign-up steps and recommend ways to expedite account creation.

Lotteries sometimes offer special deals to customers, including promotional free play or sweepstakes. A strong promotional offering shows that the lottery is invested in keeping players engaged.

A smooth and seamless user experience goes a long way toward our final review score of any lottery app. We dive deep into the menus, speed, and functionality of the app and mobile site. If anything is needlessly difficult or slow, we note that and score the platform accordingly.

Games are why you’re looking at lottery sites (probably). It’s not realistic for us to play every game on a state lottery website, but we test a handful of them at length to get a feel for how they run. Most iLotteries have demos available, which means you can play the games for free without staking any money. We use this feature to give the top games a try. The best iLottery sites have draw games (Powerball, Mega Millions, etc.), e-instants, keno, and more.

Variety is obviously important here, but we also keep an eye on the quality of the games. Are they fun to play? Do they have good graphics and animations? Are the rules and odds clearly explained upfront? These are key things we seek out.

Since many players prefer to play online lottery games from anywhere, the mobile app experience is essential to cover.

When we look at the mobile app, we ask two key questions: 1. Is it easy to find and download? Some online lottery apps are not available on Google Play or the App Store, or they are given confusing names. 2. Is the app experience missing any key functions or navigation features compared to the desktop website?

Two words spring to mind when we review iLottery payment methods: variety and speed. The first thing we look for is the number of payment methods—the more, the better, in our opinion. The best online lottery apps offer PayPal, Apple Pay, credit/debit, and other methods. Ideally, these methods are offered for both deposits and withdrawals.

Speed is the second pillar of this review category. Most payments process instantly, so that’s not a big worry. Deposit speed is the real kicker. We consider 3-5 days fairly standard, so a lottery that pays out faster gets extra props, while slower platforms might get docked in a review.

If you’re lucky enough to win while playing the lottery online, you should be able to claim the winnings quickly and easily. If not, we take hassle into account during our reviews.

Most of the time, claiming winnings from the online lottery is tied to laws or lottery regulations. In Illinois, for example, winnings up to $600 are credited to your account directly, while bigger amounts require a claim form. On our pages, we offer detailed outlines of how to claim winnings in your state’s lottery app.

This category is a catch-all for things not covered elsewhere in our reviews. Some lotteries offer subscriptions or second-chance drawings. Others have unique connectivity with retail lottery locations. When an iLottery can offer cool features beyond the main functionality we look for, that’s a big plus.

Our reviews of lottery courier services focus heavily on the user experience. Because the process involves a third party, we want to make sure everything is as simple and seamless as possible. This includes testing the ticket-buying process and all the in-app features and menus.

Once you make a purchase, the courier service should keep you posted on the progress of your runner, up to and including when the ticket is purchased. Subsequently, you should receive confirmation of your ticket and numbers as soon as the purchase is complete. The default review outlook here is simple: the more information a courier provides, the better. However, we also look for customization features such as selecting which notifications you receive and which you don’t need.

Like the category for iLottery apps above, we seek out courier apps with various payment methods. They tend to have fewer options than their iLottery counterparts, but our review strategy remains the same: more payment methods mean a better overall score.

Unlike state-run iLottery apps, online lottery couriers do charge a fee for their services. The good news is that none take a chunk out of your winnings.  However, how the platform structures the fee can make a big difference in how much bang you get for your buck. In our reviews, we clearly lay out the fee structure and use that in our evaluation.

When a courier service offers a welcome bonus, it’s an instant bump in our ratings. Even small bonuses like initial credits or deposit matches can go a long way in elevating the user experience. Ongoing promotions for existing users are also a core facet we look for.

Courier services are naturally more limited in the games they can offer compared to iLottery sites. Typically, you’ll find draw games such as Powerball or Mega Millions, perhaps with some smaller games sprinkled in. A few online lottery couriers actually provide scratch-off tickets as well, which is a huge bonus in our eyes.

Once again, for the most part, the more the merrier when it comes to online lottery couriers and games—as long as the quality of service isn’t impacted.

Delivery methods vary by lottery courier service, but most have a threshold beyond which they will deliver a winning ticket to you directly. Winnings under that threshold are added to your account for withdrawal (or to be used for more purchases). Speedy delivery and seamless withdrawals are big factors in this category.