Online lottery is a form of gambling that allows players to play games and win prizes using a computer connected to the internet. The games are run by state or national lotteries and adhere to strict rules that protect player information and ensure transparency. Unlike regular gaming, online lottery is completely free of fraud and cheating, and players can trust that the results will be fair. While there are many different ways to play online lottery, the most common is through a dedicated website or app. These apps offer a more immersive experience and can be used on most devices.

The number of people who play online lottery has grown in recent years, and this growth has been fueled by better internet connectivity and more mobile-friendly websites. It has also pushed operators to improve betting processes and security, which is vital for consumers’ safety. However, online lottery still remains a relatively new form of gambling and some consumers are wary about its reliability.

Currently, 45 US states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico run their own lotteries, and a significant amount of those sales take place online. The largest state-run lotteries, like Illinois’ Mega Millions and Powerball, offer multi-state games that can reach jackpots in excess of $1 billion. These multi-state games draw participants from across the country and around the world.

While most state-run lotteries sell their tickets online, there are also a number of third party lottery courier services that offer a hybrid form of online ticket sales by selling actual lottery tickets over the phone or through mail. These third party sites usually use geolocation to keep track of where players are playing from, and most will require that players are native residents of the state they are buying tickets in order to be eligible for a prize.

Aside from these individual state-run lotteries, there are also a number of large multinational lottery corporations that run multi-state games and operate their own websites for the sale of tickets. These companies typically offer multiple payment options, including credit cards, and may even offer special deals and promotions for certain purchases. The large multinational corporations also maintain their own separate customer service departments to assist with any issues that might arise during the buying process.

While the top prizes in New Hampshire’s lottery games are lower than in other states, they do have some of the highest jackpots for instant-win games. The games are called e-Instants, and the top prize for each game is $250,000, although some have jackpots that reach five figures. Aside from the e-Instants, there are a few other games that feature smaller jackpots.