Where are lottery tickets sold?

Lottery ticket s are sold at more than 240,000 locations throughout North America. Most of these locations are conventional retail outlets such as convenience stores, gas stations, and supermarkets. To find the closest lottery retailer near you, be sure to visit your state's official lottery website. Most sites provide this information for you.

How do places become lottery retailers?

State and provincial laws set minimum standards for lottery ticket sales based on financial soundness and integrity. Generally, any retailer meeting these standards will be permitted to sell lottery tickets. In order to become a lottery retailer, you must visit your state's official lottery website and follow the easy instructions.

How much do these retail outlets make?

Retailers are paid a commission, typically from 5 to 8 percent depending on the ticket sold, for every ticket they sell. Retailers are also commonly compensated for cashing winning tickets, awarded bonuses when they sell a ticket which wins a major prize, or rewarded for exceeding sales goals. Retailers typically pay a license fee that varies depending on location.

Do lotteries target low-income neighborhoods?

No. Lotteries place their ticket outlets where there are qualifying stores. In many cases zoning regulations in upper-income communities mean that these communities have few or no gas stations or supermarkets, and hence few or no lottery retailers. City neighborhoods, by contrast, often have many qualifying retailers because of the population density in these areas. Also, many 'low-income' areas are, in fact, commercial or industrial centers with a large influx of higher-income people during the workday.

Should the lotteries restrict the sale of tickets in low-income areas?

To deny a government contract to a retailer who meets basic financial and integrity standards would be very difficult. Such restrictions are clearly discriminatory against retailers located in these neighborhoods and would likely face a serious legal challenge. They are also discriminatory against those who live in and around these areas who wish to play the lottery.

Can lottery employees play the lottery?

Usually, no, though laws do vary from place to place. In most cases the employee's immediate family and employees of lottery suppliers are also not allowed to play. In practice, there is no way that employees could alter the outcome of a game in their favor, but lottery officials generally believe that public confidence would be damaged should an employee win a large prize.

Buy Online Lottery Tickets

In Europe players can purchase lottery tickets online. US lotteries are exploring the possibility of offering players online lottery tickets.