Since the first lottery draws over four centuries ago, lotteries have become incredibly popular. People all around the world dream of winning the jackpot or making a tidy profit from a couple of dollars. Today, worldwide lotteries account for the largest portion of gambling. The US lottery alone features 177 different games and nearly 1,000 draws per week.

The games vary slightly from state to state, but many of them are played online. A lot of lottery sites offer instant results, making purchasing tickets a simple process. Most states offer an official website where you can check results, find a location to purchase tickets, and find contact information. Some of these sites also offer Instant Games, which are casino-style games you can play online and through a mobile application.

The online lottery business is one of the fastest-growing segments of gambling online. In fact, more than half of American adults now play lottery games on the internet. In the first quarter of 2017, more than $30 billion in prizes was awarded through the lottery. And while online lotteries are not as popular as online sports betting, they are growing faster than online casinos.

Some local governments have created e-games. They are similar to traditional instant-draw games but allow players to play online, e-games can increase revenue for traditional lotteries.