Can Foreigners Play US Powerball?

Have you have ever wondered: "Do you have to be a US citizen to win the lottery?" "Can foreigners play Powerball?" or even "Can non-US citizens play Powerball?" We have the answers! You will be glad to learn that participation in American lotteries is open to everyone. You don’t have to be an American citizen to play Powerball!

Consider one of the biggest lottery jackpots draw in history, which took place in January 2016. The prize was an incredible $1.586 billion and it was won by a three winning tickets. In addition to that historic jackpot, there were many more players winning incredible Powerball prizes. In fact, in that very same draw one of our players here at theLotter won a $1 million second division prize. And, he wasn’t from the US! (See his story below.) US Powerball winners can indeed be foreigners!

Can You Play Powerball From Another Country?

The $1.58 billion Powerball mania didn't just affect the United States. The historic lottery draw caused a worldwide frenzy and millions of non-Americans were also trying to get their hands on Powerball tickets, leading some Americans on social media to denounce the "foreigners who buy up tickets for our Powerball". Canadians, Australians and Europeans were buying tickets left, right and centre and ticket sales went through the roof! The very lucky winners, wherever they were located in the world, ended up winning massive prizes in the draw and the luckiest of all were the three winners who shared the enormous jackpot. At least in this case, the prize money remained within the US borders.

Can Foreigners Play Powerball and Other US Lotteries? Absolutely!

Here are some amazing stories of foreigners who won huge American lottery prizes without ever stepping foot in the US to purchase their tickets in person. All of whom made the fortuitous decision of purchasing their tickets at theLotter - a reputable online lottery ticket purchasing service:

El Salvador Pensioner Wins a $1 Million Powerball Prize

H.V. is a 73-year-old pensioner from El Salvador in Central America. He has many grandchildren, and even three great-grandchildren, some of whom live in California. The soft-spoken man and his wife get by on a small pension, and for years they’ve wanted nothing more than to visit their great-grandchildren in America. After H. won $1 million in the Powerball, he finally has sufficient means to make this dream come true.

H. correctly guessed the five main numbers and scooped up the second prize – he was just a single Powerball number removed from sharing in the $1.586 billion jackpot.

Do you have to be a US citizen to play Powerball? H.V. certainly gave us the answer! You can play Powerball from any country, at any time, by purchasing lottery tickets online.

Iraqi Player Wins a $6.4 Million Oregon MegaBucks Jackpot

Baghdad resident M.M. had been playing lotteries online for only a short time when he purchased tickets to the Oregon Megabucks lottery. In a fateful draw that took place in August 2015, the Iraqi was sole winner of the lottery’s $6.4 million jackpot. He won an American jackpot prize without ever leaving his home in Iraq! This story was so incredible, so unique, that it was reported in the international media over and over. Respected news sources such as the New York Times, the Daily Mail, CBS, NBC, the Associated Press, and more all noted that it was perfectly legal for foreigners to win American lottery prizes by purchasing official tickets online at theLotter.

Winner From Panama Takes Home a $30 Million American Jackpot

Despite being retired, this lucky player from Panama (who has chosen to remain anonymous) had continued working to support her kids. She had only been playing with theLotter for about two months before she scored her big win — the first place prize in the Florida Lotto. Aura was the sole jackpot winner in a July 2017 draw, entitling her to the entire $30 million jackpot, less taxes.

Is it Legal to Play American Lotteries Online from Overseas? Yes!

Yes it is! As the official Powerball website states "If you legally purchase a Powerball ticket, you can play the game and you can collect prizes. You do not have to be a citizen or a resident to play the game." Players from all over the world can win the biggest Powerball lottery jackpots and huge prizes when playing Powerball!

Lottery ticket messenger services, of which theLotter is the oldest and most established, buy official Powerball tickets on behalf of their customers. After the tickets are purchased, the courier service scans them and then uploads them to an encrypted online account, which can only be accessed by the player. Secondary prizes are credited to players’ accounts shortly after they have been received from the lottery operator. If the player wins a big prize, he or she may need to fly to the US to personally collect it. When you win a huge American lottery jackpot, ordering your flights and checking that your passport/visa is up-to-date are just bureaucratic necessities on your way to lottery riches!

In summary, if you're asking, "Can you play Powerball if you are not a US citizen?", the answer is a most definite "Yes!". Lottery fans everywhere should have no hesitation about purchasing their tickets online as it is perfectly legal for foreigners to play and win American lotteries. Good luck to all!