State lottery review
Illinois Lottery review (2026): online play, 365 days to claim and 4.95% tax
Illinois state lottery: Powerball and Mega Millions with official online sales; state payout rules not yet verified.
Our verdict
Illinois state lottery with official online sales for the national jackpot games; state payout rules were not verified in this review.
Best for: Illinois players who want to buy national jackpot tickets online through the state lottery.
- Odds & value 25%5
- Transparency 20%6
- Player protection 20%6
- Ease of play 15%8
- Payouts & claims 10%5
- Reputation 10%7
What we like
- Official online sales for Illinois are listed in the Mega Millions FAQ
- Sells the national Powerball and Mega Millions draws
What to watch
- State claim, tax, anonymity and responsible-play rules were not verified in this review.
At a glance
- Operator
- Illinois Lottery
- Type
- State government agency
- Available in
- IL
- Official online sales
- Yes
- Mobile app
- —
- Courier apps allowed
- —
Score breakdown
Rubric & weights- Odds & value 25% weight5/10
Only the national Powerball and Mega Millions odds were checked on powerball.com and megamillions.com; state game odds could not be fetched.
- Transparency 20% weight6/10
No state game page, odds table or payout report could be fetched, so transparency is scored at the state-lottery default.
- Player protection 20% weight6/10
No state responsible-play or self-exclusion page could be fetched, so protections are scored at the state-lottery default.
- Ease of play 15% weight8/10
Official online sales are listed for Illinois in the Mega Millions FAQ, so ease of play is scored up.
- Payouts & claims 10% weight5/10
Claim window, anonymity and withholding rules could not be fetched from the state site, so the score uses the default.
- Reputation 10% weight7/10
No sourced regulatory or legal event in the last five years was found in this review, so reputation is scored at the default.
Games, prices and published odds
| Game | Price | Draws | Top prize | Odds of top prize | Odds of any prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball | $2 | Mon, Wed, Sat | — | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 24.87 | |
| Mega Millions | $5 | Tue, Fri | — | 1 in 290,472,336 | 1 in 23 |
Top prizes and odds
| Game | Match | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball | 5 + Powerball | Grand Prize | 1 in 292,201,338.00 |
| 5 | $1 Million | 1 in 11,688,053.52 | |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 | |
| Mega Millions | 5 + Mega Ball | Jackpot (not multiplied) | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| 5 | $2,000,000 to $10,000,000 (2X to 10X multiplier) | 1 in 12,629,232 | |
| 4 + Mega Ball | $20,000 to $100,000 (2X to 10X multiplier) | 1 in 893,761 |
Top three prize tiers as printed on the operator's prize chart.
Odds are the operator's published figures per single play. Prize amounts are before tax.
Who it’s for
The Illinois Lottery suits adults who want to buy Powerball and Mega Millions online through the state’s own player accounts. The state file lists a minimum age of 18. It is less useful if you want sourced responsible-play details, because the brand file records none.
How it works
The Illinois Lottery is a state agency; the state file gives 1974 as its start. We could not verify its headquarters or regulator from the state site. It sells Powerball at $2 (draws Mon, Wed and Sat) and Mega Millions at $5 (draws Tue and Fri).
How it scored
Ease of play is the strongest result at 8. Official online sales for Illinois are listed in the Mega Millions FAQ, and the state site offers player accounts. Online winnings of $600 or less are added to the account wallet.
Payouts and claims is the weakest at 5, because the brand file could not fetch the claim window, anonymity and withholding rules from the state site. Transparency and player protection scored 6 and reputation 7, all defaults. Odds and value scored 5: only the national odds were checked, with Powerball’s jackpot at 1 in 292,201,338 and Mega Millions’ at 1 in 290,472,336.
Claims, tax and funding
The state file lists a 365-day claim window and a 4.95% state income-tax rate. It describes the anonymity rule as conditional, and we do not expand on that. Read the claiming guide and lottery taxes explained.
Profits go to the Common School Fund for K-12 public schools, plus special-cause tickets. We found no dollar amount.
Playing online
Illinois sells online through the lottery’s own site. We found no courier apps for Illinois. A responsible-play page exists on the lottery’s site, but our brand file records no helpline or self-exclusion detail, so we do not describe its tools. See the Illinois state page.
Our take
Illinois is a reasonable choice for online buyers. The scores are held back by unverified rules rather than known faults, and the state data fills part of that gap. Check the conditional anonymity rule with the lottery before you assume privacy.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Illinois Lottery legit?
- Illinois Lottery is operated by Illinois Lottery. State-run lottery sold through retailers in Illinois; the operating agency and regulator details could not be verified from the state site in this review. We rate it 6.1/10 (Fair) on odds, transparency, player protection, ease of play, payouts and reputation, verified November 2, 2026.
- How much does Illinois Lottery cost?
- From $2 to $5.
- What are the odds of winning at Illinois Lottery?
- Powerball: top prize listed on the official page at 1 in 292,201,338; any prize 1 in 24.87. These are the operator's published figures per single play.
- What are the downsides of Illinois Lottery?
- State claim, tax, anonymity and responsible-play rules were not verified in this review..
Sources
Facts last verified November 2, 2026
Every figure on this page comes from one of the documents below. If a source has changed since our check, tell us.
- Powerball prize chart · accessed November 2, 2026
- Mega Millions — How to Play (prizes and odds) · accessed November 2, 2026
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