Illinois Online Lottery Bonus

The Illinois Online Lottery welcomes new users with one free round on the Fast Play game of the month.

It’s a relatively small bonus, but it’s straightforward and does not require a deposit or purchase of any type. However, there are three critical points players must note to ensure they receive their bonus, so be sure to read this section in full before claiming this offer.

Here’s how to claim the bonus:

• Visit IllinoisLottery.com or download the official IL Lottery app
• Sign up for an account

You’ll receive a voucher for one free Fast Play game within 24 hours of registering. You can use the voucher anytime thereafter by logging in, opening your account profile, and visiting the “My Promotions” tab. Select “Play and Redeem Now” to use your voucher for one free play.

Eligibility Requirements:

• You will only receive the bonus if you sign up after following a link or scanning a QR code published in an official communication from the Illinois Lottery online. Examples include links shared on verified IL Lottery social media accounts, e-mail marketing messages, and QR codes posted at authorized retailers. Visiting IllinoisLottery.com by manually typing in the address does not guarantee you’ll receive a registration bonus.
• You must be 18 or older
• You must be a resident of the State of Illinois

Illinois Lottery Online Payment Methods

The Illinois Online Lottery accepts two payment methods:

• Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, and Discover
• Debit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, and Discover

Additionally, players may use any winnings credited to their accounts to purchase additional tickets or play Fast Play games online.

How to Collect Your Illinois Online Lottery Winnings

Winners have several options for collecting their winnings based on the amount won.

Illinois Lottery App Review

Players can download the Illinois Lottery mobile app for iOS or Android to buy tickets online and play scratch-offs for real money from anywhere within state lines.

The app’s key features include:

• Tickets and subscriptions to lottery draw games in Illinois
• Online Fast Play games
• Integrated wallet to instantly receive all winnings under $600
• Help with claiming larger prizes
• Notifications for drawing times, winning numbers, and winning tickets you’ve purchased
• Complete record of your Illinois Online Lottery orders
• Scan physical tickets for winners with your phone’s camera
• Play Scan-N-Play games with your phone’s camera
• Participate in IL Lottery promotions and enter second-chance drawings
• Extensive IL Lottery FAQs
• Store locator
• Responsible gambling tools, including custom deposit and purchase limits

BettingUSA took the Illinois Lottery app for a test drive and found it snappy and lightweight. The IL Lottery app responds immediately to user commands and loads games instantly.

However, the standout feature in our experience was the app’s ease of navigation. This may sound like a minor point, but the Illinois Lottery app is surprisingly easy to use despite the larger-than-average array of features it offers. Whoever designed the IL Lottery app trimmed every bit of excess from the interface, so users are rarely more than a tap or two away from accomplishing any task, whether that’s entering second chance promos or buying tickets to the next drawing.

For example, if a user logs in and decides to play Powerball online, they are exactly one tap away from picking their numbers. At the same time, the IL Lottery app strikes the right balance between providing enough context to make navigation intuitive but without cluttering the screen.

How to Buy Illinois Lottery Tickets Online

You can buy tickets online from your desktop or mobile device when you’re physically present in Illinois by heading to illinoislottery.com or by downloading the official mobile app for iOS and Android devices. In both cases, you’ll be asked to sign up for an account and provide your name, date of birth, address and phone number.

The Illinois Lottery app and website display a list of games front and center, and players can hit the “Play” button to buy tickets or play online:

Next, the Illinois Lottery app or website will take you to a screen where you can select your numbers, choose how many lines to play, pick a number of drawings to enter, or start a subscription:

Note that you can choose almost any combination of number of tickets and number of drawings. For example, you can buy one Powerball ticket into a single drawing for $2.00 or you can buy 5 tickets into each of the next 6 drawings for $60.

Additionally, the Illinois Lottery offers subscriptions lasting up to one year.

Illinois Lottery Fast Play Games Online

Customers can also visit the Fast Play tab on the Illinois Lottery website to play instant win games with entries ranging from $1 to $30 each.

Gameplay mechanics vary, but Fast Play games are essentially animated online scratchers. Some Fast Play games mimic scratch-offs players can find at IL Lottery retailers, while others are unique to the app and website.

Illinois Lottery Online Subscriptions

The Illinois Online Lottery offers subscriptions lasting up to one year on all draw games.

Illinois Lottery subscriptions ensure players never miss a draw without locking them in. The checkout page shows how much players will pay over the course of the subscription, but all IL Lottery subscriptions are pay-as-you-go, so players may cancel anytime without penalty.

• Powerball Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; three drawings per week; 1 to 12 months
• Mega Millions Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; three drawings per week; 1 to 12 months
• Illinois Lotto Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; three drawings per week; 1 to 12 months
• Lucky Day Lotto Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; seven or fourteen drawings per week (midday, evening, or both); 1 week to 12 months
• Pick 4 Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; seven or fourteen drawings per week (midday, evening, or both); 1 week to 12 months
• Pick 3 Subscriptions: Up to ten lines per draw; seven or fourteen drawings per week (midday, evening, or both); 1 week to 12 months

How the Illinois Online Lottery Led to the Legalization of Online Gambling in the US

The Illinois Online Lottery has an interesting backstory that is closely intertwined with the legalization of online gambling in the United States at the federal level. If it wasn’t for Illinois Lottery officials looking for new ways to increase sales, the entire landscape of online gaming would look significantly different today.

The story dates back to 2009, when the Illinois Lottery was mulling over the possibility of selling tickets online. At the time, there was no precedent and they weren’t even sure if federal law would allow online lottery games. The Federal Wire Act was of particular concern because for the previous 40 years, the Wire Act was interpreted to prevent the interstate transmission of communications related to sports betting “and other forms of interstate gambling.”

Undeterred, officials with the Illinois Lottery sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking for clarification: does the federal Wire Act apply to state-authorized lotteries?

In 2011, the Department of Justice issued a memo with wide-ranging implications beyond just the lottery. The 13-page memo concluded:

“…interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a “sporting event or contest,” 18 U.S.C. § 1084(a), fall outside of the reach of the Wire Act.”

In 2012, Illinois became the first state to legalize and launch online lottery sales.

However, the DOJ memo had much wider implications extending beyond Illinois: it also opened the door to online gambling and poker nationwide. Additional states have also legalized online lotteries of their own in the intervening years since that important DOJ decision.

Prior to launching online ticket sales, opponents expressed concern that online sales would lead to increased risk of gambling addiction due to the ease of purchasing tickets. However, Illinois Lottery officials allayed these concerns at the time by stating that online ticket sales and spending habits can be tracked to more easily identify signs of problem gambling.

Lottery Superintendent Michael Jones added:

“They’re conflating forms of gambling. Lotteries are a very, very different form of gambling because of their nature. You risk a small amount of money against very long odds. We don’t offer the kind of action that’s usually associated with addictive behavior.”

However, these concerns did lead to the Illinois Lottery setting maximum purchase limits, establishing stringent age verification protocols, and taking responsible gambling seriously.

Illinois Online Lottery FAQ

Expert Opinion: Is the Illinois Online Lottery Legit?

BettingUSA can confidently state that the Illinois Online Lottery is legitimate. It is operated by the official state lottery and has been operational since 2012. Game variety is comparable to other states with online lotteries, although the IL Lottery app is well above average in terms of features and functionality.

Other highlights include flexible and non-binding subscription options, zero convenience fees, and a good selection of instant win games.

On the other hand, the Illinois Lottery could improve its product by offering online scratch-offs with a predetermined number of jackpots, which would allow players to see how many top prizes remain, like they can with physical scratchers sold at retailers. Instead, the IL Lottery’s Online Fast-Play games use random number generators to determine their results, so there’s no way for players to pick games based on the number of remaining jackpots.