But what separates average lottery sites from the best ones? Here we give you an insight on how we rate the lottery sites we review, and which features and elements we think are a must have for any online lottery site.
How We Rank Lottery Sites
So how exactly do we rank the lottery sites we review? While there are several points to consider, some features and elements are more important than others, and these can be found in the best online lottery sites today. In no particular order, here are some of the elements we look into when reviewing a website.
Business History
As with most industries, the biggest indication of a company’s greatness is their number of years in businesses. This doesn’t mean that newcomers are not as trustworthy, it’s just that experienced companies have proven themselves capable of staying alive amidst a competitive industry through their offerings.
Also, some scam lottery websites go under the radar when they get a grand prize lottery winner, only to resurface a few weeks later under a new name. This is why, the longer a company has been running in the lottery industry, the more trustworthy it is, and the more points it gets in our book.
Aside from date of incorporation, the country of origin is also important. Ever wonder why most lottery websites are from Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Curacao and other remote areas. This is because these jurisdictions have legislations in place that allow lottery and other gambling organizations to operate. When reviewing lottery websites, we make sure that it’s from a jurisdiction that allows lotteries. We also double check if each lottery website is certified by the respective gambling commission in their jurisdiction.
Positive Reviews and Testimonials
Part of our research is looking up customer reviews on reputable sites across the web. It’s easy to look for negative reviews on a lottery website on review sites and social media, as people are very vocal about terrible experiences. Generally, when it comes to reviews we prefer mainstream review sites that have verified reviewers. We consider sites to be top notch when they have a lot of positive reviews, mainstream media presence and minimal negative reviews.
Customer Support
During our reviews, we sometimes need to get clarification or more information from the people behind the website themselves. This also gives us the opportunity to test their customer service, specifically their email and live chat support.
We commend websites that have 24/7 live chat support on their websites. Most websites only have live chat available for office hours on their country’s time zone. While this is normal practice, why should you limit live chat hours on a lottery site that welcomes international players? As for email support, we’ve gotten a lot of lottery sites that have a 2-3 day response time. For us, the best lottery websites have a 24-hour response time frame, especially since most concerns involve money.
Site Security
Lottery websites require a lot of important information from their players, such as personal identity, credit card details, and account numbers. In return, lottery websites should make sure that their website doesn’t become a target for hackers and identity thieves.
No top lottery site is complete without SSL Encryption, which is a method of encrypting data that is communicated between the player’s computer or mobile phone and the website server. In case that someone intercepts the data transmission, the information is encrypted so they cannot decode and make use of this information.
Lottery Website Mechanics
One of the biggest reasons why people distrust lottery websites is because they aren’t sure how the website works. Does the website purchase tickets for you, or are you simply betting on the outcome of lotteries? Legit lotto sites look like scam websites if the mechanics aren’t clearly addressed. And no, placing it somewhere deep inside your terms and conditions does not count. Bonus points go to lottery websites that clearly state what their service is about on the front page.
Transparency when it comes to mechanics is not only limited to what type of service the website offers, but its payment methods, rules and regulations and other such important information that may cause confusion. If you purchase tickets on behalf of your customer, do you show printed copies of purchased tickets? If you are a lottery betting site, where do you get the money that you pay to players who get jackpot prizes? How to players claim their winnings? How does the website profit from each transaction? Are there any deductions?
Information such as deductions, special conditions and charges may make people uncomfortable, which is why some companies relegate those unattractive facts in the depths of their TOS, but this should not be the case. These must be clearly stated, if not in the front page, at least in the FAQ page in visible font.
Variety of Options
To us, the best online lotteries on the web have a lot of variety; this applies to product lines, payment methods and customer support. Since you are accommodating players from all over the world, you have to acknowledge that certain payment methods or lotteries, while the favorite of one major group of people, may not be preferred by others. This is why you have to offer options to your players.
A lottery website with over 10 lotteries in their roster is a good one, and bonus points are given if the site also has other forms of gaming, like slots, scratchcards and instant win games. Payment options should also come aplenty. Not everyone is comfortable with giving up their credit card information, so bank transfers, e-wallets and checks should be considered. Customer support should have options as well. We like lottery websites that have email, live chat and phone support, as well as social media presence.
How To Avoid Lottery Scams
We’ve been reviewing lottery websites for quite a long time, so it’s easy for us to see whether or not a site is a scam lottery site. However, newcomers are not as adept and may fall victim to these scams. This is why we’re including a list of tips that you should keep in mind while browsing through an online lottery website.
- The operator’s information should be clearly visible. This way, you can look up the operator’s background as well to see if they’re reliable.
- Look at the date of incorporation. The older a business is, the more reliable it is.
- The operator must have certification from the gambling commission in their jurisdiction.
- Mechanics should be clearly visible (lotto betting or lottery online purchasing) and important information should never be hidden away between long, boring paragraphs.
- The website should run on SSL.
- The website should have several customer service options.
- No alarming negative reviews when searched.
- The website should have a list of restrictions. Legit websites ban minors, blacklisted people, employees of their company and players from jurisdictions where gambling is illegal. If a website accepts all regardless of age and jurisdiction, it is a scam site.
- Never fall for an email, text message or phone call that tells you you’ve won something when you clearly haven’t joined the draw.
When we review a lottery site, we not only copy information that’s on the website; we challenge it, confirm it. Part of our methods include reading other reviews, thumbing through the terms and conditions of the company, and signing up for an account for testing purposes. We also reach out to customer support representatives to get a confirmation on vague information. This is so that you don’t have to go through that since we’ve done your homework for you. We believe that all lottery websites are questionable until proven legitimate. This doesn’t mean that if a particular site gets a mediocre review, they’re a scam website. They just haven’t shown us enough evidence that they’re safe and trustworthy.
Conversely, all lottery websites that get the “best online lottery sites” seal from us have proven themselves worthy of that title. It means that these websites have enough security provisions, funding sources, and real-time experience to deserve your hard-earned money and continued patronage.
