Illinois Online Lottery: How to Play Illinois Lottery Games Online

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Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY or Washington, DC. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. Min. qualifying bet amount: $1. Tokens max. bet amount: $25 per token. Tokens bet max. add'l winnings: $2,500 per token. Token(s) expire 14 days after receipt. Not reissued for voided/pushed bets. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Startยฎ. Gambling Problem? CO, IL, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, TN, VA, WV, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino), ME (Licensed through the Miโ€™kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, federally recognized tribes located in the State of Maine), NC (Licensed through Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise), PA (Affiliated with Harrah's Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or MD: visit mdgamblinghelp.org or WV: visit 1800gambler.net; AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; MA: Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org, NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369); LA (Licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Caesars New Orleans) Call 1-800-522-4700, Washington, DC (OLG Class A licensed Operator): Call 1-800-MY-RESET. ยฉ2026, Caesars Entertainment

The in-person lottery in Illinois started in 1974, but the Illinois online lottery has been around since March 25, 2012. With this, they became the first American Lottery to offer sales via the Internet.

Illinois has been quite welcoming to all forms of gaming/gambling, including legalizing in-person and online Illinois sportsbooks in 2019, as Governor J.B. Pritzker considered it a priority.

Below, we'll dive into all things lottery, including Illinois online lottery games and their history, and answer some frequently asked questions.

IL Lottery Games

At the Illinois online lottery, there are plenty of games to choose from. On the Illinois lottery website, you'll find that you can play Powerball, Lucky Day Lotto, Pick 3, Pick 4, Lotto, and Mega Millions. With each of these games, you can see the grand prize and the next drawing.

The site is also set up where you can quickly play Fast Play Games, purchase Instant Tickets online, and locate Illinois lottery retailers. A link to "discover all games" opens up a page where you'll see a weekly calendar with the draw times for each game. 

Below, we'll dive into more specific games.

Illinois Draw Games

The majority of the games at the Illinois Online Lottery are draw games. In addition to multi-state draw games, some games are more Illinois-focused, and below, we'll dive into those. These games include Lotto Extra Shot, Lucky Day Lotto, Pick 3, and Pick 4

GameCost
โ˜•๏ธ Lotto Extra Shot$2/line
๐Ÿ€ Lucky Day Lotto$1/line
3๏ธโƒฃ Pick 3$0.50/line
4๏ธโƒฃ Pick 4$0.50/line

Lotto Extra Shot

With Lotto, you'll play a $2 jackpot game and have three chances to win the $1 million prize. You'll be entered into three separate drawings for each play you do. These drawings include a jackpot with prizes between $2 and the jackpot, Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2. The latter two have a $1 million prize. 

Here's how to play:

  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Each line costs $2.
  • โœ… Pick six numbers between 1 and 50, or opt for Quick Pick.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฅ You can add Extra Shot to your ticket. This is an add-on feature that can increase your non-top prize winnings. This costs an additional $1 per line. You'll select a number between 1-25.
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ You can purchase tickets for a single ticket purchase or a subscription. You'll choose your favorite numbers for up to 12 months with a subscription. These can be purchased at the Illinois Lotto website. 
  • ๐Ÿ‘€ You can play up to 12 draws in advance.

The drawings occur three days a week, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, at 9:22 PM ET.

Lucky Day Lotto

Lucky Day Lotto is another Illinois Lottery game. This one has a daily drawing at 12:40 PM and 9:22 PM. 

Here's how to play the game:

  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Each game costs $1.
  • โœ… Pick five numbers between 1 and 45 or Quick Pick.
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Purchase tickets singularly or through a subscription. These can also be purchased at the Illinois Lotto website. 

Pick 3

Pick 3 is another daily draw game at the Illinois online lottery. These also drawings at 12:40 PM and 9:22 PM. 

Here's how to play:

  • โœ… Start by choosing three numbers between 0-9 and your style of play: Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Combo, Front Pair, or Back Pair.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Entry fees are just $0.50; you can win up to $250. For a $1 entry, you can win $500. You can wager up to $5.
  • ๐Ÿ”ฅ You can also add Fireball, which gives you an extra number drawn and more chances to win a prize. Fireball doubles your wager.
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Tickets online are purchased singularly and via subscription.

Pick 4

Pick 4 operates similarly to Pick 3. However, instead of three numbers, you'll choose four. For $0.50 wagers, the rewards push to $2,500, and $1 goes to $5,000. Like Pick 3, though, the max wager is $5. 

You can also add a Fireball to this wager. 

Does the Illinois Lottery Have Keno?

At the time of this Illinois Lottery review, Illinois Lottery Keno wasn't listed on the Illinois Lottery website. 

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See http://BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Promotional offers not available in Mississippi, New York, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.

Multi-State Draw Games

In addition to the Illinois online lottery-only draw games, you can compete in Multi-State Draw games for larger potential payouts. 

Of course, with this being Multi-State, you'll have more competitors to go up against. Below, we'll touch on these, which include IL Powerball and IL Mega Millions

Illinois Powerball

You can play the Illinois Powerball online via the Illinois Online Lottery.

  • โœ… Start by selecting five numbers between 1 and 69. You'll also select a sixth "Powerball" number between 1 and 26
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Each ticket costs $2, and you can add Power Play for $1 to amplify your winnings except for jackpots. 
  • ๐Ÿ† The jackpot begins at $20 million and increases with each drawing where no winner is crowned.
  • ๐Ÿ“… These drawings are held three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. 
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ You can buy up to 25 drawings in advance.

Illinois Mega Millions

Next up, we have Mega Millions, which you can also play online with the Illinois Lottery.

  • โœ… Choose five numbers between 1 and 70. You'll also select a sixth number, the Mega Ball, from 1 to 25
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ The tickets are $2 each, and you can purchase Megaplier for an additional $1 to boost your winnings, minus the jackpot. 
  • ๐Ÿ† The jackpot starts at $40 million and increases when a winner isn't crowned. 
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ The drawings occur on Tuesday and Friday nights

You can purchase tickets online at the Illinois Lottery website.

Instant Win Games

Instant Win Games lets you discover whether you win within seconds of playing. Instant Win Games include things like Scratch-Offs. 

The ticket prices fluctuate between $1 and $30. Per the official Illinois Lottery, the top prizes won with these games have been the following:

  • ๐Ÿ’ต Blackjack ($2 ticket): $20,000
  • ๐Ÿ’ต 100x Payout ($20 ticket): $2,000,000
  • ๐Ÿ’ต 200x Payout ($30 ticket): $3,000,000
  • ๐Ÿ’ต Million $$ Match ($30 ticket): $5,000,000

On the official Illinois Lottery website, you can sort these tickets by All, New, Featured, Speciality, $1-$5, and $10-$30.

Must be 21+ and physically present in AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY or Washington, DC. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. Min. qualifying bet amount: $1. Tokens max. bet amount: $25 per token. Tokens bet max. add'l winnings: $2,500 per token. Token(s) expire 14 days after receipt. Not reissued for voided/pushed bets. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Startยฎ. Gambling Problem? CO, IL, KY, MD, MI, MO, NJ, TN, VA, WV, WY, KS (Affiliated with Kansas Crossing Casino), ME (Licensed through the Miโ€™kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, federally recognized tribes located in the State of Maine), NC (Licensed through Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise), PA (Affiliated with Harrah's Philadelphia): If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or MD: visit mdgamblinghelp.org or WV: visit 1800gambler.net; AZ: Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP; IN: Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT; IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF; MA: Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org, NY: Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369); LA (Licensed through Horseshoe Bossier City and Caesars New Orleans) Call 1-800-522-4700, Washington, DC (OLG Class A licensed Operator): Call 1-800-MY-RESET. ยฉ2026, Caesars Entertainment

Illinois Lottery App

The Illinois Lottery does have a mobile app available for iOS and Android devices, similar to other Illinois betting apps. When you launch the app, you'll see a list of all games, Fast Play Games, and the latest results.

Along the bottom of the app are links to the homepage, Results, Scanner, Account, and More. Under Results, you'll see the winning tickets, and you can purchase them with credit and debit cards.

You can purchase tickets online for the draw games and Instant Win games. This includes Mega Millions tickets and more. You can play the IL Lottery both online and in person.

๐Ÿ“ฒ RELATED: Illinois Online Casino Apps

Illinois Lottery Subscriptions

The closest thing the IL Lottery has to season tickets are subscriptions. These can be used in draw games. With subscriptions, you'll pick your numbers for a game and subscribe for 12 months, consistently using those numbers.

Instead of a single payment, you'll have it deducted from your account each drawing. If your account runs out of funds, you must deposit funds to meet the payment for the contest at least 90 minutes before the drawing. 

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), or visit http://www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/PR/WY). Void in NH/OR/ONT/PR. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Min. $5 first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Plus, upon qualifying bet placement, get 1 100% Profit Boost Token, valid only for a NCAA Tournament Winner bet. Max. Bet: $10. Profit Boost Tokens are single-use and expire on 4/6/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Must select Token BEFORE placing bet. Boost only applies to winnings. Ends 4/6/26 11:59 PM ET. Terms: https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos.

Illinois Lottery History

The Illinois Lottery was founded in 1974. Since 1985, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $19 million to the state's Common School Fund. This fund assists K-12 public schools and also assists with the Capital Projects Fund.

The online lottery was established on March 25, 2012. Illinois became the first-ever state to offer regular lottery ticket sales online. When it was established, the Mega Millions jackpot reached a $656 million jackpot, providing a huge boom to the lottery tickets online. 

Illinois Lottery FAQs

Author

Richard Janvrin

Graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard has written for notable sports outlets such as Bleacher Report. Now with Illinoisbets.com, Richard is able to combine his sports and gambling interests to spend time exploring online sportsbooks and casinos.

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