Washington Lottery Online: The Best Online Lotto Sites for December
By Jessica Whitehouse,Editor at online-gambling.com
Jessica Whitehouse
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Lottery | Legal Since: |
|---|---|
| Mega Millions | Illegal |
| Powerball | Illegal |
Washington does not have an online lottery but does have a state lottery. The sales figures from lottery ticket sales were over $700 million last year alone and these could be increased with an online lottery. However, there is little talk of an online lottery coming into play in Washington.
There has been a state lottery in Washington since 1982. The lottery is very popular in Washington with over 9.6 million tickets sold the first week. Players in Washington can take part in some of the biggest games available, Mega Millions and Powerball. With over 3,000 retailers to purchase tickets from and $457 million in prizes paid out in 2018. A huge $182 million was also raised for beneficiaries in the state.
- We look to reliable local sources such as Seattle Times and the Spokane Spokesman Review to keep up with the latest news updates in the industry.
- We don’t stop at State Lotteries. Our dedicated team has a wealth of invaluable gambling industry expertise, including for casino games like slots and have produced an online video poker guide.
- We are following all updates to gambling laws as and when they appear by monitoring The Washington Legislature and Find Law who stay on top of laws across the country.
Are There Legal Online Lotteries Available in Washington?
Washington’s state lottery allows players to take part in the biggest games. These multi-jurisdictional games such as Powerball and Mega Millions have extremely large jackpots on offer which can tempt all players to continually try their luck. The lottery has been going strong in Washington with sales figures hitting over $700 million in 2018.
There is no online lottery available in Washington. This has not hampered players purchasing tickets. With over 3,500 retailers to choose from there are plenty of options to purchase a ticket. There is currently no legislation being pushed to enable an online lottery.
Mega Millions
Mega Millions was first called ‘The Big Game’ when it was established in 1996. Then, with the growth of popularity, it changed its name to the current one. It is played in 44 states plus the D.C and the Virgin Islands. The draws happen twice a week – every Tuesday and Friday. The minimum jackpot that you can win is $40 million, while the biggest one ever won was $4.537 billion.
US Powerball
Powerball happens to be the eldest of all lotteries in the US. It was launched in 1992 and since then expanded to more than 20 locations across the States. The minimum jackpot set is $40,000,000 and this makes Powerball among the most desired lottos too. From there on, the biggest payout was in 2016 – more than 1.5 billion dollars were split among three players holding a very lucky ticket.
Lottery Regulator in Washington
The Washington Lottery Commission is responsible for regulating the lottery decisions in Washington. There are five members on the board which serve as a rulemaking authority for the lottery in the state. The members are chosen by the governor and passed by the Senate. They are responsible for prizes and prices of the lottery. They also are in charge of regulating the lottery vendors to ensure everything is compliant.
History of Washington Lottery
1982 the lottery is passed into existence in Washington. Initially the revenue was used for schools, natural resources and government programs. By 1988 there were only three games available and sales had reached over $1 billion.
| Year | Info |
|---|---|
| 1607 | The very first American colony is established in in Jamestown, Washington. Gambling is brought to America with the colonies and spreads as a popular past time and source of revenue. Jamestown uses lotteries to finance their colony. Soon all 13 of the first colonies are using lotteries for income. |
| 1982 | The vote is passed in Washington to bring a state lottery into play. There had been no lottery since all lotteries and gambling had been made illegal in the early 20th Century. |
| 1984 | Triple Choice is introduced, the first draw game for the state. |
| 1990 | Quinto game is brought in to play, another draw game for the residents. |
| 2001 | Revenue from the lottery funds are redirected to education. |
| 2002 | Mega Millions makes its way to Washington, offering players the chance to take part in one of the biggest games available. |
| 2010 | Powerball was made available to the residents of Washington, now the two biggest games in the country were available to play. |
Famous Winners – First Time’s the $90 million Charm
A Washington resident, Lisa Quam, purchased her first ever lottery ticket at a store in Auburn near Seattle. She matched all six numbers in the Powerball and won a staggering $90 million. She left her job and planned to buy a brand-new car. Her plans were very much to look after the family and help clear debts. With student loans really racking up, $90 million would certainly help out. It just goes to show that anyone can win, all it takes is to buy that ticket.
Online Lotto Legal Age in Washington
In a bit part of the US states you must be at least 18 years old to legally buy a lottery ticket. Some states, though, require 21 years of age, while Nebraska has set the bar at 19. Since online lottery is illegal in Washington is hard to guess which of the three options it will be, if the state eventually legalizes it, of course.
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Lottery AgeThe minimum age is 18 to play lottery in Washington
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Alcohol AgeThe legal drinking age is 21 in Washington.
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Weed AgeRecreational Cannabis is legal and minimum age is 21
Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?
Online lottery in the US is legal in eight states outside of Washington. This is primarily because the US Department of Justice released a statement in 2011, stating the Federal Wire Act only applies to sports betting. Prior to this, the Wire Act prohibited any forms of communication that enabled interstate gambling. The original intent of the act was to halt organized crime and trafficking. The knock-on effect was that online lotteries were illegal until 2011. Following the DOJ’s opinion, it is now up to individual states to pass legislation on online lotteries. States that have successfully passed online lottery bills are Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Many more states are considering it too. In Europe, the EuroMillions is the largest lottery, available in the UK, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
The Best Lottery Mobile App
The best app available for Washington is Washington Lottery. Although there is no option to purchase tickets online via the app, players can still check the jackpot amounts, check winning numbers including a ticket scanner, rules of how to play games, check out the current scratch lottery cards available and prizes that are available.
Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of
Except for the great games, you can enjoy amazing promotions once Washington legalizes lottery. Operators do their best to allure players with great welcome bonuses which can be in the form of free money or matches to your deposit. Some even give away tickets, for free, with which you can enter draws with amazing jackpots such as Powerball. And if you are really curious, you can see the Washington gambling opportunities, which we reviewed for you.
- What’s the age limit?: Find out if you can play
- Want to win big? : Keep your eyes peeled for the biggest jackpots!
- Know what’s legal.: Find out if the lottery is legal in your home state.
Taxes on Lotto Winnings in Washington
Washington, as almost all other states, has taxes applicable to a lottery win over a specific size. If your win exceeds $5000 you will have to pay taxes at a rate of 24%. Still, keep in mind that the IRS could take up to 37% for taxes in certain occassions. The federal tax rate also can depend on the value of the won amount.
Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery
Washington doesn’t have online lottery, unfortunately, and there are no signs of future legalization either. Still, we will keep on following the situation and we will share with you every single piece of news that we come across, here, on our page. And don’t forget that you can play also in other states, like for example the lottery in New Hampshire.
Lottery Guides for Nearby States