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Virginia Lottery Online: The Best Online Lotto Sites for September
By Jessica Whitehouse,Editor at online-gambling.com
Jessica Whitehouse
Editor at online-gambling.com
| Lottery | Legal Since: |
|---|---|
| Cash4Life | Legal since: 2015 |
| Mega Millions | Legal since: 1996 |
| Powerball | Legal since:2010 |
A state lottery has been available in Virginia since 1987. The state also has an online lottery. It is one of the few states in the country that has legalized an online lottery. Residents are able to purchase tickets at a local retailer, via the official website or even by using the app, which can be downloaded for both Android and iOS.
The lottery is very popular in Virginia, over the years the funds raised have gone to several different areas but in 2000 voters passed an amendment to put all proceeds into education purposes. Players in Virginia can take part in some of the biggest games available, Cash4Life, Mega Millions and Powerball as well as a number of state specific games. Over $1 billion has been paid out to players and over $600 million has been raised for beneficiaries.
- Secure
- Trusted
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Online Lotto Sites
| Virginia Lottery Site | Welcome Bonus | Bonus Code | Legal In | Site Rating | Pros and Cons | Secure Link | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Lottery | Weekly Drawings |
Not Needed
|
VA | + Significant flexibility , + Instant-win games, + Great variety | Play Now! | 21+. T&Cs apply. |
Jessica Whitehouse is among the professional online-gambling.com editors in charge of ensuring that our readers get the best and most reliable news and details from the online gambling world. Her focus is on blackjack and roulette reviews, lottery, and more.
- We look to reliable local sources such as The Virginian Pilot and the Richmond Times Dispatch 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 Virginia Legislature and Find Law who stay on top of laws across the country.
Are There Legal Online Lotteries Available in Virginia?
Virginia’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. There is still a huge interest in the lottery in Virginia with 2018 seeing a record of $2 billion in sales revenue generated.
Virginia also has an online lottery allowing players to purchase tickets online without the need of going to a lottery retailer to get tickets. There are only eight states in the United States that offers an online lottery and Virginia residents are lucky to be one of them. Players can purchase tickets for Mega Millions, Powerball and Cash4Life on the official website and the app provided by the official website.
Cash4Life
Cash4Life started in 2014, with tickets sold in New Jersey and New York. Now it is available in 9 different states and you can play it both online and live. The ticket costs two dollars and you will have to choose five white numbers and one green. In case you hit the jackpot, you can choose either $1000 per day for the rest of your life, or $7.000.000 as a cash prize.
Mega Millions
Mega Millions was called ‘The Big Game’ at the moment in which it was created, back in 1996. Now it is available in more than 45 jurisdictions and is played by millions of people every week. The draws happen every Tuesday and Friday evenings. While the minimum jackpot is set at $40 million, the biggest one ever won was more than one billion and a half dollars and it happened in 2018.
US Powerball
Powerball was launched in 1992 and since then expanded in more than 20 jurisdictions, become one of the most played lottery games in the US. The minimum jackpot amount is set at $40,000,000, while the biggest one that was ever won holds also a record. It was 1.586 billion dollars that went to three players holding one very lucky lotto ticket.
Lottery Regulator in Virginia
The lottery in Virginia is regulated by the Virginia Lottery Commission. The commission consists of four board members and the Executive Director. They are responsible for all handlings of the lottery within the state, including prices, prizes, regulating the vendors and regulating the online sales. Also responsible for handling suspension, revocations and approvals on retailer licenses.
History of Virginia Lottery
In 1987 Virginia passed a law to allow a state lottery. Ticket sales began in 1988 and in just over a month, $100 million had been reached in sales figures. Virginia was on the forefront of lotteries in regard to computerized systems, introducing theirs in 1989. Throughout the 1990’s Virginia introduced a variety of games and the popularity of the lottery continued to grom.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1607 | The very first American colony is established in in Jamestown, Virginia. 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. |
| 1987 | The vote is passed in Virginia 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. |
| 1989 | Pick 3 is launched, the first draw game for the state. |
| 1990 | The lottery game Lotto was introduced to Virginia. |
| 1991 | Pick 4 is introduced, giving jackpot winners a top prize of $5,000 |
| 1996 | Mega Millions makes its way to Virginia, offering players the chance to take part in one of the biggest games available. The state was among the first to offer the game. |
| 2010 | Powerball was made available to the residents of Virginia, now the two biggest games in the country were available to play. |
| 2015 | Cash4Life replaces the previous game Decades of Dollars in the state. Cash4Life is available in only 9 states but offers winners a huge opportunity. |
Famous Winners – Retired Truck Driver Cashes In
J.R. Triplett of Winchester bought 5 tickets at a local store, as casually as most people buy a lottery ticket. Matching the numbers for a huge $239 million. After the draw he remembers not being that big a deal and told his wife that he had the winning numbers. She got on her knees and thanked the Lord! They had no plans for the money other than some shopping and invest in some real estate. With odds of more than one in 135 million, it really was the ultimate win of a lifetime.
Online Lotto Legal Age in Virginia
The legal age to play is 18 in Virginia. Underage gambling is not allowed and the sanctions are severe. The rules applied by operators are very strict and a ticket cannot be given as a gift to a minor in absolutely no way. There is a number of processes regarding age verification and you can’t hide your actual age in no way.
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Lottery AgeThe minimum age is 18 to play lottery in Virginia
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Alcohol AgeThe legal drinking age is 21 in Virginia.
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Weed AgeRecreational cannabis is not legal and has no minimum age.
Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?
Online lottery is actually legal in several states including Virginia. The reasons for this are many and we will not dive into details right now. What you have to know is that while Virginia offers you legal betting, you can also check some other states, like New York lottery per example.
The Best Lottery Mobile App
Tickets can be purchased for Mega Millions, Powerball and Cash4Life also from your mobile phone or tablet, which is a great perk. Some operators developed outstanding applications for both users of iOS and ones that prefer Android. The only thing you need is a stable internet connection and you can bet whenever and from wherever.
Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of
On the official website of Virginia Lottery, you can find some active promotions and perks that are up for the grabs. From there on, you can see what bonuses are in offer by operators. The promos can be in the form of bet money, free tickets and deposit matches and all the three can be very rewarding for you. In case you are curious, you can take a look at our main page about gambling in Virginia.
| Virginia Lottery | Weekly Drawings |
Not Needed |
VA | Instant-win games Popular live draws | Bet Here | 21+. T&Cs apply. |
- 1.Check the restrictions: Find out if you can play.
- 2.Pick a lottery game: Keep your eyes peeled for the biggest jackpots!
- 3.Check the legality: Find out if the lottery is legal in your home state.
Taxes on Lotto Winnings in Virginia
Virginia, as almost all other states, has taxes applicable to a lottery win over a specific size. If a win is over $5,000 you will have to give away 24% and then, more 4% will be witheld as a state tax too.
Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery
Virginia already regulated online lottery quite well and very strict. The things, from here on, can only improve and we will keep you posted. As soon as something new comes out we will share it on our website.