Frequently Asked Questions

Playing the lottery online is simple, safe, and secure. Here’s what you need to know to start playing.

• Choose from the 45+ lotteries listed on our site.
• Fill in your tickets online in the same manner as if you were purchasing them in person.
• Select your numbers manually, or by using a random Quick Pick selection.
• Click PLAY to complete your order.
• Pay for your tickets and confirm the purchase.
• Receive an automatic email notification when the order is complete.

Playing Options

Standard – Purchase your tickets as one-time entries, multi-draw packages, or subscriptions.

Syndicate – Purchase shares in a group entry with pre-selected numbers.

Bundle – Combine a personal Standard entry with shares of a Syndicate group entry.

Multi-Draw – Purchase a set number of draws in advance at a discounted price.

Subscription – Play every consecutive draw of your favourite lottery until you cancel. Pay for the entries as the draws take place.

There is no need to be a lottery expert to play the lottery online. All the lottery ticket forms on TheLotter are formatted to match the rules of the game. To play, simply fill in the form with the available number selection. When you click Play, we will purchase official lottery tickets on your behalf!

If you have a set of favourite numbers for a certain lottery, you can save them so you do not have to fill them out manually each time you play. To save your Lucky Numbers for a specific lottery, go to its Play form and fill in your ticket(s) with your favourite numbers. Then click the floppy disk icon on the right side of the "My Lucky Numbers" button to save your selected numbers. The next time you play that lottery and wish to use your stored Lucky Numbers, just click the "My Lucky Numbers" button to fill the form. To change your Lucky Numbers, just follow the same exact steps (select your desired numbers and click the floppy disk icon to save). This will override the previous selection and update your Lucky Numbers with your new favourite numbers. You can save different sets of lucky numbers for each individual lottery you play.

While there are certain lotteries in which it is possible to purchase one line, in most cases we require a minimum purchase of between 2-6 lines in order to offer a reasonable price for the wide range of services we provide. If you do not complete the number selection for the required number of lines, the system will automatically fill in the missing numbers using Quick Pick random selection. Please note that Bundles contain a single personal line as part of the overall package.

Yes, you can. However, please note that some number combinations in Pick lotteries may sell out if they receive too many wagers. If this happens, those combinations will no longer be available, and your order will be refunded to your account.

All the numbers/lines must be filled in before your tickets can be purchased. If you do not complete the required number selection, the system will fill in the missing numbers for you using a Quick Pick random selection.

A bonus number allows a lottery to add additional secondary prize categories to give players more opportunities to win prizes. Players do not have the option to select which bonus number they’d like to play. Bonus numbers are drawn last from the same drum as the main numbers.

How do bonus numbers work?

Say the jackpot winning numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the bonus ball is 6. The player, or players, who correctly matched all five main numbers will win the jackpot. However, if a player selected 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 they’ll have matched four out of five main numbers, plus the bonus ball, and will be eligible for a 4+1 prize worth more than simply matching four out of five numbers.

When you check lottery results on the site, the bonus number will appear in blue at the top of the screen and as X+1 in the prize breakdown.

The Reintegro (refund) is a unique feature of the Spanish La Primitiva, BonoLoto, and ElGordo lotteries. The Reintegro is an additional number from a range of 0 to 9 that is included in your ticket but it functions differently in these three lotteries.

In the La Primitiva and El Gordo lotteries, you choose the Reintegro number yourself when you purchase your ticket. In the BonoLoto lottery, the Reintegro is randomly assigned.

To win the La Primitiva jackpot, you must match the six main numbers and Reintegro drawn.

To win the El Gordo jackpot you must match the five main numbers and Reintegro drawn. Additionally, the Reintegro determines the winners of some of El Gordo’s secondary prizes.

In all three lotteries, tickets that match the Reintegro drawn receive a refund on the official ticket cost. This refund applies to all the lines on the ticket.

In a lottery, an additional number is a number that a player must choose in addition to the main numbers. Lotteries currently offer one or two additional numbers. The additional number comes from a separate guess range, appears on the play slip in a separate matrix, and is drawn from a separate drum. Lotteries that feature additional numbers require that a player matches all the main numbers as well as the additional number to win the jackpot.

Lotteries include additional numbers to make the play format more exciting, and to offer more prize categories and higher jackpots.

US Powerball was the first lottery to use an additional number, which they named the Powerball and from which the lottery got its current name. To this day, an additional number may also be known as a Powerball.

Lottery results on the site will list the additional number in red.

The Mega Millions Megaplier feature allows players to increase their non-jackpot prizes by multiplying the prize amount by 2, 3, 4 & 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn. For example, the 2nd prize of matching 5 numbers on a Megaplier ticket (US$1 000 000) will be multiplied by 5 (for a prize of US$5 000 000) if the Megaplier selected for that draw is 5.

To purchase a ticket with the Megaplier feature:

1. Choose the Mega Millions lottery.
2. Select your lucky numbers on the play form.
3. Mark the Megaplier checkbox located below the form (the additional cost will be reflected automatically in the total cost).
4. Click the “Play” button to proceed to checkout.

The results of the Megaplier number can be viewed along with the regular winning numbers on the Mega Millions Results page.

Please note: the Megaplier applies to all lines on the ticket, multiplying players' potential wins and affecting the price of the ticket accordingly.

Click for full information about the Mega Millions Megaplier.

The optional Power Play feature allows players to increase their non-jackpot prizes by 2-10 times, depending on the Power Play number drawn.

With the Power Play included in a player’s ticket, the second prize of US$1 million is doubled to US$2 million. The other non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by the Power Play number. The 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot annuity is US$150 million or less.

To purchase a ticket with the Power Play feature:

1. Choose the US Powerball lottery;
2. Select your lucky numbers on the play form.
3. Mark the Power Play checkbox located below the form (the additional cost will be reflected automatically on the total cost of the ticket);
4. Click the “Play” button to proceed to checkout.

The Power Play number selected in each draw can be viewed with the regular winning numbers on the Powerball Results page.

Please note: Power Play applies to all lines on the ticket, multiplying players' potential wins and affecting the price of the ticket accordingly.

A systematic form allows you to boost your chances of winning by entering the draw with all possible combinations of your lucky numbers.

You are required to fill in a single line with a specific amount of numbers that is higher than the minimum requirement per line, from which all possible combinations are generated.

On TheLotter, you are welcome to choose 6-14 lucky numbers, depending on the availability of this play option in the lottery you select. Lotteries which offer systematic forms will have a systematic tab on the play page. The total number of lines generated will appear in the systematic tab.

For example, in EuroMillions, you are invited to choose 6 -10 numbers for your systematic form. You will first need to choose the type of systematic form (6 numbers, 7 numbers, 8 numbers, 9 numbers, 10 numbers) you wish to play. Should you choose 6 numbers, a total of 6 lines will be generated from the numbers you choose in the numbered grid. Should you choose 10 numbers a total of 252 lines will be generated; each line made up of a different combination of your lucky numbers.

Ticket purchases close on the site approximately three hours prior to the lottery draw in order to allow our offices sufficient time to complete orders in an accurate and timely manner. To see local draw times, please consult the specific details for each lottery.