Online Lottery in India

Now, you have a chance to play them too. Of course, there is a lot to take into consideration when choosing which site you want to play. In this article, we will delve into the following questions:

• How do you recognize a fair lottery site from a fake? 
• What is the best Indian online lottery? 
• What should you consider when buying lotteries online?

Online Gambling Guru is at your rescue. We have reviewed some of the best online lottery sites and we will provide you with genuine feedback.

Is Lottery Legal In India?

Speaking technically, betting on the online lotteries is legal in various states of India, while illegal in others. This is because every Indian state has its own jurisdiction according to which they have either legalized or criminalized the entire lotto India industry.

If you want to play lotteries, you should be at least 18 years of age and should reside in any of the following Indian states in one of the states where lotteries are legal. However, Indian law is not set on punishing people who purchase lottery tickets, rather to make sure there are no sellers of illegal tickets. 

The 2015 Supreme Court decision

In 2015, the Indian Supreme Court decided that state governments could ban lottery sales. While certain states opted to ban lotteries, the following states legalized lotteries. Several of these states even organize their own lotteries. These states are:

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

Why Buy Lottery Tickets Online

There are various benefits of buying lottery online. Here are a few of them:

1. Autoplay

You no more need to enter a certain lottery and provide the winning combination. With the help of the autoplay feature, your saved number is replayed game after game and the payment is made through direct debit. Thus, this saves you from any trouble you might have to go through with otherwise.

2. Play on the go

Since you do not need to visit any brick and mortar store for playing the lotteries, you can play the lotteries online throughout the day at the time of your comfort. You can also download the related apps and play on the go, in addition, to managing your account and performing other tasks.

3. More games and better prize money

This is a well-established fact that online lotteries provide better prize money and have a vast variety for you to choose from.

Where to Buy Online Lottery Tickets

International lotteries are simply bigger than Indian ones. If you want a chance at some of the biggest prizes, you will have to choose an online lottery site that sells international lottery tickets. Follow these easy steps:

1. Head to the site and create an account
2. Make a deposit using Skrill, Neteller, Visa or MasterCard.
3. Choose the lottery you wish to play at
4. Choose from options like subscriptions, syndicates, bundles
5. Get extra discounts and bonuses
6. Withdraw your winnings to your bank account

Good luck! It could happen to you…

The Best Foreign lotteries

While India has several great lotteries of its own, such as Kerala or Sikkim lotteries, a prize worth Millions of Dollars, Euros or British Pounds will equate to Billions of Rupees after conversion. That makes big lotteries from the US, UK, and Europe a destination for players from around the world. Thanks to several international lottery sites, you never have to miss a draw and you can choose virtually any major lottery from around the globe. In this section, we will discuss some of the best and biggest lotteries in the world, which you can play from India. 

American Lotteries: Powerball and Mega Millions

The USA is often called the Land of Opportunity, and this is reflected in its lotteries, where you will often find immense prizes. 

The US Mega Millions

Mega Millions is one of the most popular lotteries in the US and the world. The draw is every Tuesday and Friday night, with a minimum jackpot of US$40 million, which is about INR 280 crore!

How to play

To play Mega Millions, you need to choose five numbers from 1 to 70, plus the Mega Ball, which is a number between 1 and 25. This lottery offers prizes in nine tiers, including one for guessing the right number for the Mega Ball. If nobody wins the jackpot, it moves over to the next draw. 

Head to one of the specialized lottery sites, such as TheLotter to play Mega Millions.

The US Powerball

The US Powerball is one of the largest lotteries in the world, played over 44 different states, as well as in India through specialized sites. The draw is every Wednesday and Saturday night. The minimum jackpot is US$40 million, which is about INR 280 crore, just like the Mega Millions.

How to play

To play Powerball, choose 5 numbers between 1 and 69, plus a Powerball number between 1 and 26. There are 8 prize tiers below the main jackpot. You can also choose ‘Power Play’ to increase your non-jackpot winnings.

Head to one of the specialized lottery sites, such as TheLotter to play US Powerball.

UK Lotteries: The UK Lotto

The UK Lotto was launched in 1994 and it remains the biggest and most popular lottery in the United Kingdom. The draw is every Wednesday and Saturday night. The jackpot can be anywhere between £2,000,000 and £25,000,000!

How to play

To play the UK Lotto, you need to match 6 numbers between 1 and 59 to win the jackpot. You also need to pick a bonus ball from the remaining 53 numbers.  Besides the jackpot, there are fixed prizes to win. You get a prize if you have at least numbers correct. If nobody wins the jackpot, after 5 consecutive draws, it is divided between the Match 3, Match 4, Match 5, and Match 5 + Bonus players. 

Head to one of the specialized lottery sites, such as TheLotter to play UK Lotto.

European Lotteries: Euro Millions

Euro Millions is by far the largest jackpot in Europe, and the name says it all. It gives you the chance to win a prize worth millions of Euros, or Billions of Rupees. The draw is every Tuesday and Friday night from Paris. Nine European countries participate, and now you can too!

How to play

To play Euro Millions, choose 5 numbers between 1 and 50. Add to that 2 Lucky Star numbers from 1 to 12. Now you have a chance at the jackpot with a minimum value of 17 million euros or 130 crore rupees. If nobody claims the jackpot, it will roll over to the next draw. You can also win minor prizes in 13 tiers if you get 2 or more numbers correct. The lottery also has occasional super draws with bigger prizes for special occasions. 

Head to one of the specialized lottery sites, such as TheLotter to play UK Lotto.

Indian Lotteries

India has several lotteries of its own. Each state has its own legislation and rules regarding these. Goa, Sikkim, and Punjab all organize lotteries. You can play yourself or through an agent.

Sikkim: the Playwin Lottery

Sikkim is home to the biggest lottery in India. The Sikkim government organizes the draw. You can choose from up to five different games, from Tuesday till Saturday: 

Thunderball

The Thunderball has seven prize tiers, with a minimum first prize of 1 crore. There will be a rollover to the lower tiers if nobody wins it. The winning numbers are announced every Tuesday on the Zee Zing TV channel.

Jaldi 5 Double

Wednesday has a similar prize, with a minimum of 1 crore. Match five numbers correct to win the jackpot. Winning numbers are announced on the Zee 24 Taas TV channel. 

Thursday Super Lotto

This draw takes place every Thursday, with a minimum jackpot set at 2 crores. Rollover is set to lower tiers as well. The winning numbers are announced every Thursday on the Zee Zing TV channel. The biggest win ever was 17.2 crore. It went to Jaiprakash Jaiswal, a scrap dealer from Kankurgachi.

Jaldi 5

Jaldi 5 has the same prize structure as the Jaldi 5 Double, but the odds are doubled, while the prizes are halved. Winning numbers are announced on the Zee 24 Taas TV channel. The first prize is INR 500,000

Saturday Super Lotto

To end the week, the Saturday Super Lotto offers a game similar to the Thursday Super Lotto. Each game has its own jackpot, however. The winning numbers are announced every Saturday on the Zee Zing TV channel.

If you want to check your winnings, you can watch the Zee Zing or Zee 24 Taas channels. You can also double check on the Playwin Lottery website.

How to play Playwin Lottery

Playwin tickets can be bought in most Indian states, either directly or through authorized dealers. Keep in mind that these might be hard to find in some states, making online lottery a better choice. 

Punjab Lottery

Punjab state offers seasonal Bumper lotteries for a chance at winning big prizes, with just a cheap ticket. Every month, the state organizes a lottery and decides the name, prize, and the number of the ticket. There are no weekly lotteries, like in other states. You can often win prizes up to 1.5 crores, though the prizes are often smaller. Usually, the state prints the same number of tickets, no matter how big the prize. 

Punjab Bumper Lottery 

Each year, Punjab organizes several major draws, corresponding with Indian holidays. These include the Holi Bumper, Baisakhi Bumper, Rakhi Bumper, Punjab State Diwali Bumper, and the New Year Lohri Bumper. The lotteries have different rules but are usually fun to play. 

Unlike other lotteries, where you choose your numbers from a certain range, each ticket has a number from 000000 to 999999. This gives you a one in a million chance at winning. Tickets usually cost between 100 and 200 rupees, a reasonable price. 

How to play

You can purchase Punjab lottery tickets from reputable and permitted sellers. These are not available everywhere in India, making online tickets a better choice in some cases. 

The Kerala State Lottery

The Kerala State Lottery was launched in 1967, when the state banned private lotteries. It was the first state lottery in India and the inspiration behind for other state lotteries. It has a draw every day of the week, with tickets costing just 30 to 50 rupees. 

Monday: the Win-Win

The Win-Win game has a first prize of 65 lakh, plus a second and third prize. 

Tuesday: Sthree Sakthi

The Sthree Sakthi has eight winners, with the first prize of 60 lakh. 

Wednesday: Akshata

The Akshata has a first prize of 60 lakh, with 3 prize tiers

Thursday: Karunya Plus

The Karunya Pluas has a first prize worth 80 lakh, or 8 million rupees, plus several consolation prizes.

Friday: Nirmal Weekly

The Nirmal Weekly has a first prize of 60 lakh, with tiers going up to the seventh place. 

Saturday: Karunya

Just like the Karunya Plus, this game has a first prize worth 80 lakh, or 8 million rupees, plus several consolation prizes in 7 tiers

Sunday: Pournami

The Sunday Pournami has a first prize of 70 lakh, with tiers going up to the eighth place.

Each game has its own specific rules, which you can check before playing. 

Kerala State Lottery Bumper Lotteries

Kerala State Lottery also offers Bumper lotteries at several times per year. These often have bigger prizes. Tickets cost between 100 and 200 rupees. Each has its own prize structure. 

Christmas New Year

The Christmas Season offers a first prize of 6 crore, or 60 million rupees.

Summer

This draw is held in March, with a first prize of 4 crore.

Vishnu

The Vishnu Bumper Lottery has a drawing in May, with a jackpot of 5 crore.

Monsoon

The Monsoon draw is held in July, with a first prize of 2 crores.

Pooja

The Pooja Bumper Lottery draws in November. The jackpot is 4 crore. 

Thiruvonam

In the weeks of the Malayalam New Year celebration, the Thiruvonam draw ends in September. Its first prize is 10 crore or 100 million rupees!

How to play Kerala State Lottery

Kerala State has over 100,000 retailers and 35,000 registered agents. If you cannot find one, we suggest trying an online lottery instead.