Understanding State Lottery System

A lot has been said and written about lottery games, how to play them and different ways to pick up your lucky number.  There are certain tips and te...


A lot has been said and written about lottery games, how to play them and different ways to pick up your lucky number.  There are certain tips and techniques that you can use to fine-tune your game.  In government lotteries, it is common to find some form of regulation.  Do not borrow or loan money for tickets, because if it turns out to be a winner, you can get into a sticky situation that could involve millions of dollars.

Borrowing or lending money could also lead to hurt feelings, broken friendships and even lawsuits.  If you live in a state that does not have lottery, you can enter lotteries in other states, provided you go to that state and buy the ticket in person.  There are several state and federal laws regarding lotteries.  As per U.S. Postal Service regulation, the unplayed lottery tickets cannot be mailed across state lines.

In case you live in state which does not have lotteries, you can get tempted to go to other states, which is fine as long as you purchase the ticket in person.  Phone numbers of state lottery are mainly customer service lines, and usually do not give information regarding result.  When playing state lottery, it is essential to set a budget, and not forget the original investment.  Many people who regularly play lottery get so used to losing their money that they stop even reading their tickets properly.

If you win a state lottery, first and foremost thing to do is to sign it because unsigned lottery is like cash, and belongs to the bearer.  In case of multimillion-dollar lottery ticket win, you can get the help of financial experts to develop the investment plan.  It is a good idea to draw a plan to decide how much you are willing to spend on state lottery each month.  If the prize money is more than $5000, IRS requires lotteries to withhold 25 percent federal tax from that amount.

After you have verified that you are a winner, contact the state lottery headquarters, they will arrange for a day for you to visit them, get your ticket validated, and then collect your prize money.  It is very important to keep a low profile, and other than close family members and lawyer, do not tell anyone else.

Leave a Reply