You Can Still Play Powerball and Mega Millions in Illinois
Thursday June 22nd 2017As Illinois comes to terms with the loss of both Powerball and Mega Millions, players across the state are desperate to find out whether they can still take part in their favorite lottery games. Despite the inevitable despair, there is some good news for lottery lovers of the Prairie State, as this ban does not signal the end of play.
The Illinois Lottery Saga So Far
The Illinois Lottery has confirmed that the sale of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets in the state will cease following the group’s inability to pay prizes owed to winners. The issue arose as the state continues to suffer from a budget crisis that began in 2015, when the company failed to pay lottery winnings in excess of $600 and was forced to issue IOUs to successful ticket holders. Since then, the troubles have only worsened, ultimately leading to the state’s expulsion from Powerball after June 28th and Mega Millions following the drawing on June 30th.
Hope for Illinois Lottery Fans
This crisis may have lottery players flustered, but it certainly doesn’t mean that the thrill of participating in Powerball and Mega Millions has to end. If you live in Illinois, you have two options; you can either cross the border and buy your lottery tickets from a neighboring state, although any prizes must be claimed from the state in which the entry was originally purchased. Alternatively, you can play through an online messenger service; this would avoid having to leave the house, let alone the state.
Step-by-Step Guide
For those players hoping to take part in Powerball or Mega Millions draws through an online messenger service, a step-by-step guide can be found below:
1) Visit the Tickets page of Lottery.net and select either Powerball or Mega Millions. From here you will be redirected to an online lottery messenger service. It is worth noting that the service does not play the lottery for you, but instead acts as a ticket buying service, and some ticket requests can take up to 24 hours to process. This does mean that it acts entirely within the law.
2) Next, you are required to select your lottery numbers, although a Quick Pick option is also available. You must also choose the number of lines you wish to play and the amount of draws you would like to enter. If desired, you can participate as part of a syndicate.
3) Once you are happy with your ticketing options, you must make your payment. If you are new to the online messenger service, you will be required to create an account.
4) Following the completion of the transaction, a representative of the online messenger service will purchase your entry and send a scanned copy of the ticket (or tickets) to the email address provided upon registration. For those entering as part of a syndicate, a scanned image of all of the tickets purchased will be sent.
5) Should you win a prize, you will be notified via email. Prizes of less than $600 will be credited to your account, while winners of larger prizes will be contacted by a representative from the online messenger service.
So, just because Illinois is no longer part of the multi state lottery family, that doesn’t mean devoted players have to miss out on winning life-changing prizes courtesy of Powerball and Mega Millions. Best of luck!
Update: The Illinois State lottery reinstated Powerball and Mega Millions ticket sales on July 6th 2017.
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