The online lotto revolution is here courtesy of Lottoland
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
Let's face it, playing the lottery is not the most exciting form of gambling. You buy your ticket - sometimes as an afterthought when you pop into the corner shop - and tend to forget about it until the draw is announced. Of course, the likelihood is that you won’t win the jackpot. If you're lucky, you might win your money back.
The lottery industry has generally remained stagnant since it started in the UK back in 1994, apart from some minor format changes and the introduction of some additional games.
With so many other forms of betting readily available, how can the lottery become more exciting and accessible? The answer: online lotto betting.
The lotto alternative
With online lotto betting, instead of buying an official lottery ticket, you place a bet on the outcome of the draw.
Betting on the lottery works much in the same way as when you actually play the lottery. You select your numbers in the same way, and if you win, receive the same jackpot and prizes.
Sometimes, you can even win extra money if you make the most of special features.
The main difference is that you do not get a physical ticket and are not participating in the official draw. Any winnings are paid to you by the lotto betting company.
A privately-owned company, with its head office based in Gibraltar, Lottoland offers online lotto betting, scratch cards, slots, and casino games, including live casino, bingo and sports betting.
Lottoland is able to pay out winnings due to its sound insurance model. It pays out smaller winnings directly from its revenue, whilst mega jackpots are covered by insurance companies.
The benefits of lotto betting
The most obvious advantage of lotto betting is the convenience factor. It’s easy to get your phone out wherever you are, select your numbers, and be in with the chance to win millions.
With the official lottery, there is a cut-off time which you need to buy your tickets before, usually an hour or two prior to the draw.
With lotto betting, for select lottos, you can place your bets up to the last second with the LastMinute option, which consists of six QuickPicks.
It is also convenient to set up an open-ended subscription which you can set for however long you like and opt-out of at any time. This way, you will always be in with a chance and avoid the hassle of having to log in and pick your numbers every week.
The other huge advantage of online lotto betting is that you can bet on lottos from around the world which you would not usually have a chance to participate in.
Some lotteries, such as the Irish Lotto, are very popular with UK lotto enthusiasts as the odds of winning a jackpot are more favourable.
Others like to bet on lottos for a sense of nostalgia, for example, a Spaniard living in the UK may want to join in on the excitement of winning a prize on El Gordo de la Navidad.
Moving onto special features, Lottoland offers exclusive features, DoubleJackpot and NumberShield, for a small extra fee.
With DoubleJackpot, you can win double the jackpot prize money, and with NumberShield, you can guard your numbers so that no one else can choose them, meaning you would be the only winner.
The legitimacy of lotto betting
Lotto betting directly challenges the established monopolies and has understandably been met with strong resistance from lottery operators, but lotto betting is a totally legitimate practice.
Lottoland is regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association and the Irish National Excise License Office. You’re guaranteed to receive your winnings.
Giving back to the community
One of the criticisms that lotto betting companies face is the accusation that none of the money they generate goes towards good causes, as is the cause with the official lottery.
Lottoland, however, actively supports three distinct charities: Hospice UK, Blue Cross for Pets, and Prader-Willis Syndrome Association UK (PWSA UK).
Lottoland also offers a special charity lotto, the Win-Win Charity Lotto. The jackpot for this is £250,000 - with every £1 bet placed, 20p is donated to charity.
To add to this, Lottoland recently launched its Win-Win Charity Scratchcard. This scratchcard has a top prize of £50,000 - and, like with the Win-Win Charity Lotto, 20p from every £1 is donated to one of Lottoland’s charities.
