How to Buy Mega Millions Tickets in the UK

The biggest US Mega Millions jackpot ever reached US $1.6 billion (£1.398 billion) in late October 2018, making many Brits wonder how to play Mega Millions in the UK themselves. Although Mega Millions lottery tickets are officially sold only within the US, there are several 100% legal ways for people from other countries to also get in on the fun and excitement of this incredible game.

The good news is you don’t have to be an American citizen or resident to play any of its national lotteries, as both the lotto organizations and the US government are happy to have more money pouring into them. After all, more money means bigger jackpots, which mean bigger profits, which mean bigger tax revenues earned. In other words, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved! So how can you buy Mega Millions tickets as a UK resident? The easiest way is via an online lottery website.

What Is an Online Lottery Website?

An online lottery website is a third-party service that allows players from all over the world to either purchase official tickets OR bet on the outcomes of lottery draws. Some online lottery websites are either a ticket concierge service that actually goes out and buys physical lottery tickets for its customers, while others are betting services that are fully licensed and regulated and pay out the same prizes as the official lottery would in the event of a win (small or large). Others still are a hybrid of these two types of services who use the insurer model when the jackpots aren’t too crazy but buy official tickets on behalf of players when the jackpots are so big that it wouldn’t make sense for the company to cover them with an expensive insurance plan.

What Are the Benefits of an Online Lottery Site?

Even if you were in the US and could head down to a local lottery kiosk to buy a Mega Millions ticket, online lottery sites offer several advantages:

Convenience

The benefits of using these types of services is, first and foremost, convenience. Since flying to the US from the UK costs lots of time and money, it obviously wouldn’t be feasible to fly there just to buy tickets for the next big draw yourself. Instead, you can buy Mega Millions tickets online using your smartphone, tablet or computer with just a few clicks. Once you’ve registered a player account, purchasing tickets to whatever lotteries you’re interested in trying takes anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Plus, you never have to wait in any queues or adhere to any specific hours of operation since lottery websites usually operate around the clock.

Automatic Ticket Checking and Payments

Most online lottery sites automatically verify whether your numbers are winning ones and notify you via email and/or through your player account. This means you don’t have to worry about checking your numbers, which can save you a lot of time, especially if you’ve bought multiple entries. In addition, you won’t run the risk of incorrectly reading your numbers and accidentally throwing out a winning ticket. Furthermore, non-jackpot payments are usually made directly into your player account, so you don’t even have to go anywhere to retrieve your winnings. In the event of a big win, you might need to travel to the country where the lottery is held, but this requirement varies from one lottery agent to another. Of course, taking a flight somewhere to pick up millions of dollars is hardly something to complain about!

Variety

Online lottery sites literally open up a world of different lotteries that are normally not available for UK residents to play. In addition to Mega Millions, you can play US Powerball, Canada’s Lotto 649 and Lotto Max lotteries, Italy’s SuperEnalotto and dozens of other games from all over the world. Why limit yourself to just British lotteries when there are so many other exciting ones regularly taking place every week?

Welcome Offers

Most great lottery websites will want to encourage new players to sign up with them, and they’ll often do this with great welcome offers. These are usually entail deep discounts or a money-back guarantee on your first purchase, meaning if you don’t win anything, you’ll be credited the same amount of money (and sometimes more) back into your account so that you can try your luck again and hopefully win a prize the second time around.

Outstanding Features

Many online lottery sites offer a wide range of features that you’d never find with an official lottery provider. These can include syndicates (also known as group play), subscriptions (so you can sign up to multiple draws in a row), instant-win games (like scratch cards and bingo) and many others.

Security

Have you ever lost a lottery ticket or even worried about doing so? Using an online lottery service takes care of that problem, as any physical tickets or bets you purchase are readily accessible in your player account. Lottery agents store tickets in safes and usually provide players with a scanned copy, and lottery betting sites also keep all transaction details encrypted on their servers.

Value

Most of these sites charge a nominal fee for the services they provide. Some only charge a little extra for each entry while others also take a commission on wins above a certain amount, so it’s important to do your research (you can start by reading our lottery agent reviews) to make sure you understand and are happy with their terms.

Buying US Mega Millions Tickets from the UK - Conclusion

As you can see, buying Mega Millions tickets as a British resident through an online lottery site is not just straightforward but also offers many benefits that aren’t available through any other means. Once you’ve given it a go yourself, you’ll likely love the added convenience and excitement these types of sites provide.