2024's Top Lottery Sites

Find Your Dream Lottery Site with the Help of Compare.bet

Not so long ago, the only lotteries available for people in the UK were the National Lottery Lotto and EuroMillions. Now, thanks to online lottery sites, you can enjoy draws from all around the world. The sheer abundance of options can be overwhelming for newcomers, but Compare.bet is here to help.

Our expert review team has done the hard work by researching and reviewing the UK’s top lottery sites. Simply compare options with the help of our carefully curated list, and pick out your favourite. Once you’ve made your choice, all you need to do is sign up and start playing or betting on lotto today. From the Powerball to EuroJackpot, the world’s biggest lottery draws are just a few clicks away.

What Makes a Top Lottery Site?

• Valid UK Gambling Commission operator license
• Good selection of lotteries
• Generous bonuses and promotions
• Lottery syndicate options
• Easy-to-use interface
• Mobile compatibility
• Variety of banking options
• Customer-friendly terms and conditions
• Helpful customer service

How do Lottery Sites Work?

There are two ways to get involved with online lottery: you can either buy lottery tickets through a third party site, or bet on the lottery numbers that come up in a draw. Let’s take a look at how each option works.

Lottery Concierge Services

Lottery concierge services purchase tickets on your behalf. These sites allow you to play lotteries from around the world, thanks to staff local to the country of the lottery you’re playing. You’ll simply login, place your order and the ticket will be bought for you and a record of your ticket uploaded to your online lottery account. These lottery sites will usually monitor the lottery draws, and notify you if your ticket is a winner.

You won’t usually pay any more for a ticket than you would if you bought the ticket yourself in that country, but these sites usually have service fees.

Lottery Betting

Lottery betting works slightly different. Rather than playing the lottery, you’re placing a bet on the outcome of the draw. You’ll still pick lottery numbers, but you aren’t actually buying a ticket. The stakes are usually the same price as a ticket, but rather than contributing to the lottery fund, the money goes to the betting site. Likewise, payouts are usually the same as if you were actually playing the lottery, but it’s the lottery site, rather than the lottery operator that pays out.

Some lottery sites also give players the chance to bet on certain individual numbers being drawn. Of course, the more numbers you bet on, the higher your chance of landing a win. The odds will be the same for each number, given that lottery is a game of chance, and these bets will be paid out in a similar way to a sports bet.

Online lottery betting sites operate on an insurance-based model. This essentially means that they partner with insurance companies to insure each bet that is made. It’s this insurance company that covers the cost of your winnings if you do get lucky

Best Lotteries Available Online

One of the best things about playing lottery online is that you get access to a range of different draws. Whether you want to play it closer to home, or take your chance on international draws, online lottery sites make this possible. Compare.bet has picked out some of the most exciting lotteries that you can get involved with online.

• Euromillions – Euromillions is played across nine European countries, but online lottery sites give players around the world the chance to get involved. You play by choosing five numbers from 1-50 and two bonus numbers from 1-12, with draws every Tuesday and Friday. EuroMillions has 13 prize tiers and, though the jackpot is capped at €190 million, it has been reached several times in the past, meaning there’s plenty of potential for winning here.
• US Powerball – The Powerball is the world’s richest weekly lottery and has a minimum jackpot of $40 million. With no cap on how high the top prize can go, the US Powerball holds the record for the biggest ever lottery payout – a whopping $1.586 billion that was split between three lucky tickets in 2016. With draws every Wednesday and Saturday at 10.59 pm EST, the concept is simple. All you need to do is pick five numbers between 1 and 69 and an additional ‘Powerball’ number from 1 to 26 to grab your chance of winning a share of the nine prize tiers.
• MegaMillions – Another US title, MegaMillions is the second richest weekly lottery. Like Powerball, you’ll need to match 6 numbers to hit the jackpot, but with MegaMillions you choose between 1 and 70 for the five main numbers and 1 to 25 for the bonus, so the odds are slightly longer. The jackpot also starts at $40 million and is uncapped, with the biggest win being a $656 million payout made in 2012. Draws are held at 10.59 pm EST every Tuesday and Friday, giving you plenty of chances to get involved.
• El Gordo – The name of Spanish Christmas Lottery draw means ‘The Big One’ – a reference to the huge jackpot prize that reached the heights of £2.3 billion in the past – making this Spanish lottery one of the biggest anywhere on the planet. Results are drawn in the run up to Christmas each year, with tickets selected from a hopper containing 100,000 numbered tickets, ranging from 00000 to 99999. Players buy tickets with a five number combination, and the matching ticket hits the big jackpot, though there are smaller prizes to be won, depending on number combinations.
• SuperEnalotto – This Italian lottery is one of the biggest in Europe, with a record jackpot of €177 million. To play, you simply pick six numbers from 1-90. You can also play the ‘SuperStar’ variation at some online lottery sites – simply pick a bonus number and if everything matches up, your prize will be bigger. With draws every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the jackpot builds up quickly. There are five other prize tiers for the regular lotto and seven for the SuperStar, so there’s plenty of cash to be won!
• EuroJackpot – This international lottery is played across 18 different countries, offering a maximum jackpot of €90 million. Players must choose five numbers from 1-50 and two ‘Euro’ numbers from 1-10, and winning a prize in one of the 12 prize tiers will depend on how many numbers they match. EuroJackpot draws taken place every Friday night in Helsinki.

These are just a few of the many of lotteries on offer at the best online lottery sites, with some offering bettors the chance to enter over 50 different draws. Use our carefully selected list to browse and compare the full range of games and prizes and find one that’s right for you.

Why Play at an Online Lottery Site?

So why would you play lottery online when you could easily buy a ticket for a local lottery at a retailer? Let’s take a look at why people use online lottery sites.

Overseas Jackpots

The best thing about lottery sites is that you can enter draws that would be otherwise inaccessible. This opens up a whole new world of potential mind-blowing jackpots. For example, while UK residents can’t easily buy US Powerball tickets from a retailer, online lottery sites allow you to buy tickets and bet on the draw of this lottery.

Syndicates

Online lottery sites make joining a lottery syndicate easier than ever before. Joining a syndicate means that you’re part of a group of players who buy tickets collectively. So if you buy one ticket as part of a syndicate of 100 and your numbers win, you’ll bag a percentage of the prize. The more tickets or ‘shares’ you buy, the larger your win. This is a great way to boost your chances without breaking the bank!

Bonuses

Another big plus of playing the lottery online, at one our recommended sites, is that you can benefit from some great bonuses. Matched deposits, free bets and reduced prices are just some of the top welcome bonuses up for grabs at lottery sites. Many sites even reward regular lottery players with loyalty scheme promotions. For example, WinTrillions’ VIP loyalty program rewards one loyalty point for every £2 you spend. Once you’ve collected enough you can redeem points for discounts and free plays.

Scratch Games

Online lottery draws are at set times, so if you can’t wait to get a slice of the action, online lottery scratch cards might be for you. These are simple, instant win games, available at a range of the best lottery sites. Scratch games odds are more favourable than traditional lotteries, so they can be useful for picking up a few smaller wins.

How to Pay and Play at an Online Lottery Site:

1. Choose your favourite online lottery site
   The first step to potentially bagging a life-changing jackpot is to figure out which lottery site is best for you. This is where we come in – we’ve searched the web far and wide to bring you our carefully curated list of the top online lottery sites. We only recommend sites that are licensed by regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commision (UKGC), so you’re guaranteed a 100% safe and fair place to play when you pick from our list. You can use our expert reviews to compare the best jackpots and bonuses on offer and pick out the best lottery site for you.
2. Create your account
   Found a site? Follow our link to head straight to the registration page. From there, you’ll be able to create an account within a matter of seconds- all you’ll need is some basic personal information. If an enticing welcome bonus has caught your eye, make sure to opt in when you sign up so that you don’t miss out. Remember that the biggest bonus numbers aren’t always the best deals- check the terms and conditions so that you understand exactly what you’re signing up to.
3. Make a deposit
   Making deposits at our recommended lottery sites is a piece of cake. Simply head over to the cashier page, select your preferred payment method and deposit amount and click confirm. Whether you want to pay by bank transfer, bank card, e-wallets, or prepaid cards, you’re sure to find a site that suits you. Decided the welcome bonus is for you? It’ll usually be credited to your account when you’ve made your deposit.
4. Pick & play
   With the funds in your account, you’re ready to get going! Find the draw you want to play, select your numbers and buy your ticket or place your bet. Whether you want to play overseas jackpots, raffles or jackpots, you’ll find it all at the best lottery sites. Good luck!

What Else do I Need to Know?

Playing the lottery is probably the most simple form of gambling out there, so as you can imagine, there isn’t too much in the way of rules to be explained. However, there are a few lottery tips we have to share and important information you should be aware of before playing online lotteries.

Tax

Some lotteries offer something that doesn’t crop up too often – the chance to get your hands on tax-free cash. For example, if you live in the UK and are lucky enough to win the UK lotto jackpot, you won’t be taxed on your winnings as they are not classed as income. However, you will pay tax on any interest you earn on your returns, as well as gift and inheritance tax on money you give or leave to people.

For other lotteries, winnings may be taxed according to the country or state where the ticket was purchased, as well as your country of residence. If you’re lucky enough to win big on one of the US draws, then you can expect to be paying a fair amount of tax on your prize. At TheLotter, for example, tickets for Powerball and MegaMillions are purchased in Oregon, so any big winnings would be taxed by 38%. Non-jackpot prizes are generally pre-taxed, but jackpots aren’t, so it’s important to be aware of rules before you play.

When it comes to online lottery betting sites, if you win on a taxed lottery then generally the site will pay out the winnings as if you had bought a regular ticket. This means that the prize you’re awarded will be theoretically “taxed”, as if you were a resident of the country in which the lottery is held.

The Odds

As with any kind of online betting, it’s important to be aware of the odds you’re gambling on. Everyone who plays lotteries know that the odds are slim, but you may not be aware of just how slim they can be. Lottery odds depend on how many numbers are drawn and the possible range of each number. Generally, the bigger the prize, the higher the odds. For example, the odds of hitting the Powerball jackpot are around 1 in 292,201,338, while you have a 1 in 45,457,474 shot at winning the UK National Lottery, so it’s fair to say that your chances are pretty small.

The good news is that most lotteries come with several prize tiers, so you don’t have to have a complete set of matching numbers to earn some lottery winnings. Both the Powerball and MegaMillions lotteries have nine prize tiers in total, whilst Euromillions has thirteen. The odds of winning smaller prizes are much better – 1 in 38 for Powerball and 1 in 22 for Euromillions, for example. Keep in mind, though, that whilst you may be able to win prizes for matching just one or two numbers, these will be very small – usually only a few pounds.

Keep Within Your Limits

Some online lotteries offer jackpots that are beyond colossal. The biggest lottery jackpot to date was a massive $1.586 billion paid out by the US Powerball in 2016, which was split between three lucky tickets. The thought of winning such a life changing sum can make it tempting to buy multiple tickets to improve your chances of winning, but it’s important to always keep a level head when playing the lottery. Individual tickets might seem cheap, but the price can quickly add up if you don’t keep track of your spending.

When playing at the best online lottery sites you can activate features to help manage your gambling, just like you can at online casinos and sports betting sites. Deposit and loss limits, time out sessions and self exclusions are all tools that can be used to help ensure you play responsibly and don’t end up gambling more than you can afford to lose.

Choose Between a Lottery Ticket Site and a Lottery Betting Site

The first thing you need to know is that there are two ways you can play at online lottery sites: by purchasing tickets or by betting on lotto draws. Let’s take a closer look.

Lottery Agents

Lottery agent or ticket purchasing sites give you the chance to play a wide range of lotteries by buying tickets on your behalf. This enables you to enter international lotteries such as the US Powerball, for which you wouldn’t otherwise be eligible. Lottery agent sites have staff located around the world who literally purchase tickets from official lottery operators and keep them secure in your name. Any winnings will come from the lottery operator, via the lottery agent.

Lottery Betting Sites

At lottery betting sites, you’re effectively betting on the draw rather than purchasing official lottery tickets. In most cases this doesn’t really have an effect on you as a player. What it means is that if you win, it’s the online lotto betting site that pays out your winnings, rather than the lottery operator itself.

Now, you’re probably wondering how a lottery betting site can afford to pay out jackpots that can potentially reach hundreds of millions. The answer is that it will most likely operate on an insurance model. The site insures each bet with an insurance firm, and in the event that there’s a major win, the insurance firm pays the jackpot to the site, which is then passed on to you.

Best Lottery Sites 2024

There are a fair few sites that let you take a chance on some of the biggest lotteries in the world. Here are some that have particularly caught our attention.

Jackpot.com

Everything from the Irish Lotto to the US Powerball is available at Jackpot.com, which is one of the most expansive lottery betting sites around right now. You can set up subscriptions so tickets are automatically purchased on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. The site also supports a massive range of payment options, from e-wallets like Neteller and MuchBetter, to pay by phone service Boku. There’s even a range of slots, table games and scratchcards to keep you busy when you’re not entering your lucky numbers.

Lottomart

If you’re new to lottery betting, Lottomart has your back with its welcome bonus. Newbies who make at least £2 worth of lotto bets will receive an 8x boosted line bet on the same draw, not to mention 10 free spins on the Sweet Success Megaways slot. Speaking of which, there are plenty of slots – including progressive jackpot titles – to be found here. But if you’re all about the lottery games, you’ll be able to play some of the biggies, including SuperEnalotto and Mega Millions. If you’re in a hurry, the Quick Pick feature will generate the numbers for you.

Giant Lottos

If you like the idea of officially playing lotteries rather than wagering on their outcomes, Giant Lottos should be on your radar. This lottery agent will purchase tickets for you, whether you want to go for the monster Powerball jackpot or the smaller, but still potentially life-changing, French Loto. You have the option to join syndicates to enhance your chances, and if you can’t decide which lottery to play, there’s the All Draw Bonanza which enters you for 10 different international lotto games at once.

Casinos and Sportsbooks with Lotteries

As well as dedicated online lottery sites, some of the best online casinos and new sports betting sites also have lottery options. These often have a much smaller variety of lottery games, and some may just have one such as Mega Millions. On the other hand, some sites offer casino games like online slots, roulette and blackjack, as well as sports betting markets, so the type of site you choose ultimately comes down to your preference.

Play a Wide Range of Different Lotteries

For many players, the lottery options on offer are a deciding factor when it comes to picking out your ideal site. The available draws vary from site to site, so whether you’re looking to bet on the US Powerball, Mega Millions or SuperEnalotto, it’s important to check the lottery options match your preferences before signing up. Don’t forget that odds and payouts will vary from draw to draw – this might influence your choice.

Some of the best lottery sites in the UK offer you the chance to play over 50 different draws. These include popular lotteries from all over the world, from Europe and the US to Australia and Japan. The prizes on offer vary a lot, so there’s plenty of big jackpots as well as smaller lottery games on offer. Here are some of the most famous lotteries available to UK players.

EuroMillions

Nine countries officially participate in the EuroMillions, including the UK, France and Spain. To play, you just need to choose five numbers from 1-50, along with a pair of ‘Lucky Star’ numbers from 1-12. There are 13 prize tiers available, so you can potentially win everything from a few quid to a jackpot worth hundreds of millions. The draws are every Tuesday and Friday.

US Powerball

The US Powerball has certainly made headlines over the years – not least because it paid out the biggest lottery prize in history in January 2016: a staggering $1.59 billion. Playing the Powerball involves picking five numbers from 1-69, plus an additional ‘Powerball’ from 1-26. There are nine tiers in all, so you can bag anything from a relatively small to a truly immense amount of cash. The draws occur three times a week, in the early hours of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, UK time. 

Mega Millions

It’s one of the biggest lotteries in the US, and thanks to online lottery websites you have a shot at the Mega Millions jackpot too. You need to pick five numbers from 1-70 along with a bonus Mega Ball number from 1-25. Get them all right, and you’ll be in line for the mammoth top prize, although there are eight other reward tiers to consider as well. The draws take place in the early hours of Wednesday and Saturday, UK time. 

El Gordo

El Gordo means ‘the Fat One’, and refers to the top prize of the world-famous Spanish Christmas Lottery. The draw takes place on 22 December and involves 100,000 numbered tickets which range from 00000 to 99999. Multiple copies, or ‘series’, of every ticket are made available, with players able to purchase fractions of each ticket. Each fraction is worth a percentage of any prize the ticket happens to win, including the top El Gordo jackpot. A major cultural event in Spain, this lottery can now be enjoyed all over the world thanks to lottery betting sites. 

SuperEnalotto

Playing this Italian lottery is very simple: you just pick six numbers from 1-90 and hope they come up. There is also a bonus, or ‘Jolly Number’, but this is only used to decide the winner of the second prize tier. Speaking of which, this game features six tiers in total, ranging from two matched numbers up to the complete set of six. Draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the jackpots can grow to rank among the biggest in the world. 

EuroJackpot

Not to be confused with EuroMillions, this lottery spans a large number of European countries including Croatia, Italy and Latvia. Your task is to hit a winning combination by selecting five numbers from 1-50 and two bonus ‘Euro Numbers’ from 1-10. There are 12 prize tiers with the EuroJackpot, and the rolling jackpot is capped at €90 million. Draws take place every Friday.

Play Lotteries as Part of a Syndicate

A big feature at many of the best UK lottery sites is the chance to join lottery syndicates. Syndicates increase your chances of landing a win by playing as part of a group with other players. Each player in a syndicate purchases a number of shares, and if any ticket proves a match, the winnings are split between each member of the syndicate.

So, while playing a lottery as part of the syndicate will win you less than if you buy a matching individual ticket, it does greatly increase your chances of landing a win. You can play syndicates at the best lotto betting sites as well as at lottery ticket sites. Some top lottery sites even have syndicates that allow you to participate in multiple lottery draws by purchasing just a single share.

Play Online Lotteries on Your Smartphone

Want to play online lottery games on your smartphone? All the top UK lottery sites on our list have mobile-friendly websites, which means you can sign up, deposit and purchase tickets or bet on a lottery draw using your phone or tablet. Some of the best lottery sites have also developed native lottery apps, and we think these provide the best mobile experience.

Mobile lottery apps are optimised for your device, so they make playing lotteries like Euromillions and El Gordo on your mobile or tablet faster and easier. Another big benefit of mobile lottery apps is that they offer push notifications. This means you’ll be alerted to all the latest bonuses and promotions. You’ll also be notified if you ever land a lucky win, so you never have to worry about missing out when you play on a mobile lottery app.

Play Lotteries with Your Preferred Payment Methods

It’s important to find a lottery site that accepts your preferred payment methods. You can use debit cards at all the very best lottery sites but if you want to use an e-wallet like Neteller or Skrill, or an alternative method like Paysafecard, keep in mind these aren’t available at all sites. We’d also recommend checking out the minimum and maximum limits, as well as the withdrawal timeframes, to ensure they match your budget and playing preferences.

Wondering how to deposit at online lottery sites? Follow these simple steps.

While not many lottery sites support PayPal, some top casinos and best betting sites that offer lottery games do accept PayPal payments for playing for lottery games. Check out our recommended PayPal lottery sites to find your perfect place to play.

Odds of Winning

It almost goes without saying that you need to be very, very lucky to land the top jackpot prize with any lottery. As it all comes down to luck, you won’t be able to improve your chances through any skilful playing strategy on your part. That being said, savvy lottery fans might want to consider the mechanics of different lotteries to see which draws give you the best odds of success.  

For example, while Italy’s SuperEnalotto often has a large jackpot prize up for grabs, you only have a 1 in 622,614,630 chance of getting your hands on it. Compare that to the Swedish Lotto – the jackpot is far smaller, but you have a 1 in 6,724,520 shot of bringing it home. These more favourable odds come about because you’re picking seven numbers out of 35, rather than SuperEnalotto’s six numbers out of 90.

You should also look closely at the number of prize tiers available at different lotteries. For example, EuroMillions has 13 tiers, while the UK Lotto has only six. More tiers mean more chances of striking a prize-winning combination.

Consider How You’ll Receive Your Winnings

Before playing online lotto draws, it’s important to read up on the winnings collection process should you strike it lucky. How you receive your lottery depends on whether you’re playing at a lottery ticket site or betting on lottos online.

If you’re playing at lottery agent sites, secondary wins are generally credited to your account once the lottery site has received the prize from the operator. If you’re lucky enough to win a jackpot, most lotteries require you to travel to the country the lottery is held in in order to collect your winnings. Alternatively, if you’re betting on the lottery, most of the best lotto betting sites automatically credit small wins to your account, while collecting large wins and jackpots may take longer.

Read Up on Lottery Tax

It’s important to know whether you’ll be liable to pay any tax should you land a win playing online lottery. UK citizens who win on the National Lottery Lotto or EuroMillions don’t pay any tax on winnings, but other countries have different laws. For example, if you land a win on US lotteries, your winnings will be taxed according to the federal and state tax laws.

The same goes for both lottery ticketing sites and online lotto betting sites. If you’re betting on lotteries that are taxed, while your prize itself won’t be taxed, you’ll still receive the same amount as you would if you bought a regular ticket.

Non-jackpot lottery winnings are generally already pre-taxed, but jackpot winnings are usually stated pre-tax. So if you win a jackpot, the amount you receive may be lower than the figure advertised.

How to Sign Up to an Online Lottery Site

Follow these simple steps to get started at a top lottery site.

Now you know all about how the best online lottery sites work, you’re ready to get out there and try them for yourself. Whether you’re looking to buy lottery tickets online or feel like trying your luck at 2024’s best lottery betting sites, we’ve got you covered. Use our list of top lottery sites to compare and pick out your favourite to start the sign-up process whenever you’re ready.
UK’s Top Licensed Lottery Sites: