# USA Lottery Reviews

> Independent, sourced reviews and ratings of every US state lottery, national game, lottery courier app and sweepstakes. Published odds, taxes, claim rules and safety, verified against official sources.

Every score comes from a published six-criterion rubric (odds 25%, transparency 20%, player protection 20%, ease of play 15%, payouts 10%, reputation 10%) and every figure cites an official source with an access date. Method: https://usalotteryreviews.com/methodology

## Best-of lists
- [Best lottery apps and courier services](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/best-lottery-apps): The lottery courier apps ranked by our overall score: fees, states covered, licensing, protection and record.
- [Best state lotteries](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/best-state-lotteries): State lotteries ranked by our overall score across odds, transparency, player protection, ease of play, claims and reputation.
- [Best odds and value](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/best-odds): Which lotteries, games and sweepstakes score highest on odds and value per dollar, using the operators’ published odds.
- [Safest ways to play the lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/safest-ways-to-play): The lotteries, apps and sweepstakes with the strongest player protection: age checks, spending limits, self-exclusion and real regulation.
- [Most transparent lotteries and sweepstakes](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/most-transparent): Ranked on transparency alone: published odds for every game, open draw procedures, audits and clear rules.
- [Best sweepstakes and prize draws](https://usalotteryreviews.com/best/best-sweepstakes): US sweepstakes and prize draws ranked by our overall score, with the free-entry method noted for each.

## Reviews
### State lotteries
- [Michigan Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/michigan-lottery): 7.4/10. Michigan state lottery: iLottery pioneer funding schools with over $1 billion a year.
- [Pennsylvania Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/pennsylvania-lottery): 7.4/10. Pennsylvania state lottery with a full iLottery, Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life.
- [Massachusetts Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/massachusetts-lottery): 7.3/10. Massachusetts state lottery: Megabucks, Mass Cash, Keno and national games, online play and lifetime self-exclusion.
- [CT Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/ct-lottery): 6.8/10. Connecticut state lottery with iLottery, Lotto! and Cash5.
- [Montana Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/montana-lottery): 6.7/10. Montana state lottery: 1986 referendum, no online sales, anonymity allowed.
- [Oregon Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/oregon-lottery): 6.7/10. Oregon state lottery: Megabucks, Win for Life and Powerball, sold in Oregon only, with no official online ticket sales.
- [Delaware Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/delaware-lottery): 6.6/10. Delaware state lottery: Multi-Win Lotto and anonymity for all winners.
- [Minnesota Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/minnesota-lottery): 6.6/10. Minnesota state lottery: Gopher 5, Lotto America and conditional winner privacy.
- [Rhode Island Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/rhode-island-lottery): 6.6/10. Rhode Island state lottery with an iLottery, MFL and a $433.6M FY2025 General Fund transfer.
- [Louisiana Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/louisiana-lottery): 6.5/10. Louisiana state lottery funding K-12 education; 21+.
- [Virginia Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/virginia-lottery): 6.5/10. Virginia state lottery with online wallet, app and a new anonymity law.
- [Colorado Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/colorado-lottery): 6.4/10. Colorado state lottery with Lotto+ and Cash 5.
- [Georgia Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/georgia-lottery): 6.4/10. Georgia state lottery with online play, Fantasy 5 and Millionaire for Life.
- [Idaho Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/idaho-lottery): 6.4/10. Idaho state lottery: Idaho Cash with 1 in 5.7 any-prize odds, Powerball from $3.
- [Maine State Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/maine-lottery): 6.4/10. Maine state lottery with Megabucks and the best any-prize odds among state games here.
- [Florida Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/florida-lottery): 6.3/10. Florida state lottery sending more than $1 billion a year to education.
- [New York Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/new-york-lottery): 6.3/10. New York state lottery: huge education payouts, online subscriptions and an app.
- [Kansas Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/kansas-lottery): 6.2/10. Kansas state lottery with official online ticket sales, Super Kansas Cash and the national games.
- [Kentucky Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/kentucky-lottery): 6.2/10. Kentucky state lottery with official online ticket sales, plus Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life.
- [North Dakota Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/north-dakota-lottery): 6.2/10. North Dakota's lottery sells multi-state games online to adults; it runs no in-state draw game of its own.
- [South Dakota Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/south-dakota-lottery): 6.2/10. South Dakota state lottery with no state tax on winnings, no online sales.
- [WyoLotto](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/wyoming-lottery): 6.2/10. Wyoming's state lottery (WyoLotto): cash-only retail tickets, 180-day claims and anonymity on request.
- [DC Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/dc-lottery): 6.1/10. DC lottery with DC iLottery, Lotto America and public winner records.
- [Illinois Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/illinois-lottery): 6.1/10. Illinois state lottery: Powerball and Mega Millions with official online sales; state payout rules not yet verified.
- [New Hampshire Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/nh-lottery): 6.1/10. New Hampshire state lottery with official online sales plus the national jackpot games.
- [Maryland Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/maryland-lottery): 6.0/10. Maryland state lottery selling Powerball, Mega Millions and state draw games, with winners allowed to stay anonymous.
- [Wisconsin Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/wisconsin-lottery): 6.0/10. Wisconsin's state lottery: Megabucks, Badger 5 and SuperCash!, sold only at retail with 180-day claims.
- [North Carolina Education Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/nc-education-lottery): 5.9/10. North Carolina's state lottery: official online sales, 18+, with national games and in-state Cash 5, Pick 3 and Pick 4.
- [Vermont Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/vermont-lottery): 5.9/10. Vermont state lottery with a one-year claim window and Tri-State games.
- [Washington's Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/washington-lottery): 5.9/10. Washington's state lottery: public agency, winners can be named.
- [Arizona Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/arizona-lottery): 5.8/10. Arizona state lottery: national Powerball and Mega Millions; state payout rules not yet verified.
- [Arkansas Scholarship Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/arkansas-scholarship-lottery): 5.8/10. Arkansas state lottery: Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life; state payout rules not yet verified.
- [California Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/california-lottery): 5.8/10. California state lottery: Powerball and Mega Millions with pari-mutuel prizes; state payout rules not yet verified.
- [Iowa Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/iowa-lottery): 5.8/10. Iowa's state lottery: retail-only tickets for players 21+, with Pick 3, Pick 4 and the national games.
- [Mississippi Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/mississippi-lottery): 5.8/10. Mississippi state lottery with daily Match 5 and the national games; players must be 21 or older.
- [Missouri Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/missouri-lottery): 5.8/10. Missouri state lottery selling Powerball, Mega Millions and its own Lotto and Show Me Cash draw games.
- [Nebraska Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/nebraska-lottery): 5.8/10. Nebraska state lottery selling the national games, with courier apps allowed.
- [New Jersey Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/nj-lottery): 5.8/10. New Jersey state lottery with the national jackpot games, sold through licensed courier apps.
- [New Mexico Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/new-mexico-lottery): 5.8/10. New Mexico state lottery with Roadrunner Cash, Pick 3 Plus and the national games.
- [Ohio Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/ohio-lottery): 5.8/10. Ohio's state lottery: Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life, with courier apps for online buys; state.
- [Oklahoma Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/oklahoma-lottery): 5.8/10. Oklahoma's state lottery: Powerball, Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life and Lotto America; its own games are not.
- [West Virginia Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/west-virginia-lottery): 5.7/10. West Virginia state lottery with official online sales: Powerball, Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life, Lotto America.
- [Hoosier Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/hoosier-lottery): 5.4/10. Indiana's state lottery: retail-only tickets, Hoosier Lotto and CA$H 5, with 180 days to claim draw prizes.
- [South Carolina Education Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/sc-education-lottery): 5.4/10. South Carolina's state lottery operator, selling Powerball and Mega Millions; state-specific rules still to be verified.
- [Tennessee Education Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/tennessee-lottery): 5.4/10. Tennessee state lottery: Powerball, Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life and Lotto America, with a 180-day claim window.
- [Texas Lottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/texas-lottery): 5.3/10. Texas state lottery, now run by TDLR; online, app and courier sales are banned.
### National games
- [Powerball](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/powerball): 6.5/10. The multi-state $2 jackpot game: 1 in 292.2M for the top prize, 1 in 24.87 to win any prize.
- [Mega Millions](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/mega-millions): 6.2/10. The $5 multi-state jackpot game with the multiplier included: 1 in 290.5M top prize, 1 in 23 any prize.
- [Millionaire for Life](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/millionaire-for-life): 6.2/10. MUSL's nightly $5 game (from 22 Feb 2026): $1M a year for life, any prize 1 in 8.46.
- [Lotto America](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/lotto-america): 6.1/10. MUSL's $1 game with a Star Ball: jackpot 1 in 25,989,600, any prize 1 in 9.63.
- [Jackpot USA](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/jackpot-usa): 5.9/10. MUSL's $20 multi-state progressive fast-play jackpot: no drawings, 1 in 1,000,000 for the jackpot.
- [Powerball Xs & Os](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/powerball-xs-os): 5.8/10. MUSL's $5 weekly NFL-logo game: pick 8 teams, rolling jackpot, any prize 1 in 12.16.
### Lottery apps & couriers
- [Lotto.com](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/lotto-com): 6.0/10. NJ/NY-licensed courier in 12 states with a published 25% fee on draw tickets and no cut of your prizes.
- [Jackpocket](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/jackpocket): 5.2/10. DraftKings-owned lottery courier app: fees shown at checkout, about 12% over face value in observed Colorado prices.
- [Jackpot.com](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/jackpot-com): 4.8/10. US lottery courier app from Lottomatrix Corp (seven states); deposit fees are not published on its app page.
- [theLotter](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/thelotter): 3.8/10. Malta-licensed international courier operating since 2002; not a US-licensed courier, so US lotteries may refuse prizes.
### Scratch-offs & instant games
- [Michigan Lottery Online](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/michigan-ilottery): 7.1/10. Michigan's iLottery: 290+ online instant games plus draw games; first lottery with NCPG iCAP certification (2015).
- [PA iLottery](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/pa-ilottery): 7.0/10. Pennsylvania Lottery's online platform since 2018: instant games, Powerball and Mega Millions, with strong player tools.
- [Virginia Lottery Online](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/virginia-ilottery): 6.9/10. Virginia's online lottery and app: instants, draw games, an online wallet and legal anonymity since July 2026.
### Sweepstakes & prize draws
- [Coca-Cola America 250 Drink in Adventure Sweepstakes](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/coca-cola-america-250-sweepstakes): 7.3/10. Free sweepstakes with an $80,000 Jeep Wrangler credit and five trip pools; mail-in entry gives 10 bonus entries; 18+.
- [HGTV Dream Home Giveaway](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/hgtv-dream-home): 7.1/10. Free-entry sweepstakes for a $2.45M Charlotte lakeside home; two entries a day; 21+; winner pays the taxes.
- [Giving Back Raffle (Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego)](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/rmhc-san-diego-giving-back-raffle): 6.7/10. California-only registered charity raffle: $150 tickets, 70,000 cap, Del Mar house (ARV $7M) or cash; no free entry.
- [Mile High Raffle (Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver)](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/mile-high-raffle): 6.5/10. Colorado-only licensed charity raffle: $50 tickets, 30,000 cap, 1 in 30,000 grand prize odds; no free entry.
- [PrizeWave](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/prizewave): 6.3/10. Monthly $50,000 cash draw with a free mail-in entry; memberships from $19.99 a month; 18+ in 48 states and DC.
- [MONOPOLY Game at McDonald's (2026)](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/mcdonalds-monopoly): 6.2/10. Free-to-play (mail-in) instant-win game, 6 Oct to 1 Nov 2026; $100,000 cash and Jeep Cherokee tops; overall odds 1 in 5.
- [Dream Giveaway](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/dream-giveaway): 6.1/10. Charity car giveaways with free entry by mail; odds are one divided by tickets issued; partly pays prize tax.
- [Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation 25 Years of Heroes Car Raffle](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/dbacks-heroes-car-raffle): 6.0/10. Arizona-only charity raffle: $50 entries, Ford Bronco or Mustang Mach-E grand prize (max $65,700) plus 68 daily prizes.
- [St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/st-jude-dream-home): 6.0/10. A $100-ticket charity raffle for a new house in 40+ markets; no free entry stated; all proceeds go to St. Jude.
- [HGTV Smart Home Giveaway](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/hgtv-smart-home): 5.8/10. Free daily-entry sweepstakes for an Orlando smart home plus $100,000 cash (over $1.3M); rules page blocked.
- [Charitybuzz Sweepstakes (Prizeo)](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/charitybuzz-sweepstakes): 5.6/10. Celebrity-experience sweepstakes on Prizeo: no donation necessary, donations earn bonus entries.
- [Publishers Clearing House](https://usalotteryreviews.com/reviews/publishers-clearing-house): 4.6/10. Free-entry sweepstakes with optional paid entry packs; FTC settlement in 2023 and a 2025 bankruptcy sale.

## Guides
- [The best US sweepstakes and prize draws in 2026](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/best-us-sweepstakes-and-prize-draws-2026): Twelve US sweepstakes, raffles and prize draws ranked by our overall score, with price, free-entry method and top prize for each, from Coca-Cola to PrizeWave.
- [Can Lottery Winners Stay Anonymous?](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/can-lottery-winners-stay-anonymous): Whether you can keep your name private after a big win depends on the state where you bought the ticket. Here is how several states handle it.
- [How Lottery Odds Work](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/how-lottery-odds-work): Overall odds, jackpot odds and why the two numbers tell very different stories. Real figures for Powerball, Mega Millions and three smaller games.
- [How to Claim a Lottery Prize](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/how-to-claim-a-lottery-prize): Sign the ticket, know your deadline, and go to the right office. A plain guide to claiming small and large lottery prizes, with real state deadlines.
- [How to Spot a Lottery Scam](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/how-to-spot-a-lottery-scam): You cannot win a lottery you did not enter, and no real lottery charges a fee to release a prize. The warning signs, and what to do if you are targeted.
- [Is It Legal to Buy Lottery Tickets Online?](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/is-it-legal-to-buy-lottery-tickets-online): Official state iLottery sites, courier apps and offshore websites are three different things. Here is which are legal, where, and what to watch for.
- [Lottery Courier Apps Explained](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/lottery-courier-apps-explained): What a lottery courier does, what it charges, where it is licensed, and what happens if you win big. A plain guide to Jackpocket, Lotto.com and the rest.
- [Lottery Taxes Explained](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/lottery-taxes-explained): What gets withheld from a lottery prize, how federal and state rules differ, and why the amount withheld is not always the tax you finally owe.
- [Powerball vs Mega Millions](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/powerball-vs-mega-millions): How the two biggest US jackpot games compare on price, odds, draw days, add-ons and where you can buy them, including what changed when Mega Millions went to $5.
- [Responsible Play and Setting Limits](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/responsible-play-and-setting-limits): Where to get help, what limits official lottery sites offer, how age limits differ by state, and simple habits for keeping play within budget.
- [Sweepstakes vs Lottery vs Raffle](https://usalotteryreviews.com/guides/sweepstakes-vs-lottery-vs-raffle): Three kinds of prize draw, three sets of rules. Learn how prize, chance and consideration separate them, and how to find the free entry in a sweepstakes.

## Data
- [State lottery rules: the full table](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/state-lottery-rules-table): Minimum age, tax, claim deadline, anonymity and online sales for every state lottery in one sourced table.
- [Lottery prize claim deadlines by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/prize-claim-deadlines-by-state): Claim windows for state lottery prizes in days, each taken from an official lottery or statute page and dated. Updated as we verify more states.
- [State tax on lottery winnings by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/lottery-winnings-state-tax-by-state): State tax rates applied to lottery prizes, each from an official lottery or revenue department page. Federal tax is separate and applies everywhere.
- [Lottery minimum age by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/lottery-minimum-age-by-state): The legal minimum age to buy lottery tickets in each state, taken from the state lottery or its governing rules.
- [Can you buy lottery tickets online? State by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/buy-lottery-tickets-online-by-state): Whether each state lottery sells tickets online, partly online or only in person, with the lottery’s own explanation where it gives one.
- [Can lottery winners stay anonymous? State by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/lottery-winner-anonymity-by-state): Whether each state lets a lottery winner claim anonymously, allows it only in some cases, or makes the winner’s name public, from official sources.
- [Where state lottery money goes, by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/where-lottery-money-goes-by-state): What each state lottery says its profits fund, such as education, local aid or scholarships, taken from official lottery pages.
- [Lottery courier apps by state](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/lottery-apps-and-couriers-by-state): The lottery courier apps that state they operate in each state, from their own pages, with a link to our review of each app.
- [When each state lottery started](https://usalotteryreviews.com/data/when-each-state-lottery-started): The year each US state lottery was established or began, from official lottery pages.

## Policies
- [Methodology](https://usalotteryreviews.com/methodology)
- [Editorial policy](https://usalotteryreviews.com/editorial-policy)
- [Corrections](https://usalotteryreviews.com/corrections)
- [Changelog](https://usalotteryreviews.com/changelog)
- [Disclosure](https://usalotteryreviews.com/disclosure)