Official lottery websites offer a variety of different options for lottery players. These include subscriptions, which allow you to purchase tickets automatically on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Subscriptions are convenient because they allow you to pick your numbers in advance and have your tickets checked for winning numbers automatically. If you win, you will receive a check or a form with instructions on how to claim your prize.

The official lottery sites are generally for residents only. However, official lottery agents allow visitors to play foreign lotteries online. One of these agents is TheLotter, which purchases official lottery tickets for players and scans them as proof of purchase. These agents can be trusted as they are fully licensed by the state lottery to conduct business.

Official lottery games can be in a number of formats, from a randomized draw to a fixed prize fund. Typically, the prize fund is set to a certain percentage of the receipts, making it a safer bet for organizers. Some lotteries feature multiple prize levels, including a jackpot.

The first official lottery with money prizes was held during the 15th century in the Low Countries. Public lotteries were used to fund government projects and help the poor. Some towns even considered it a civic duty to hold a lottery, using the proceeds to build churches and universities.