Lotteries have been around for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. There are reports that the first European lottery games began in the Low Countries in the Fifteenth Century. However, evidence shows that the Romans and even the ancient Chinese and Egyptians may have had lotteries of some form or another which predate their European counterparts.
In their many years of existence, numerous types of lotteries have come into being. Today, there are four of five distinct types of online lottery. If you are the type of internet gambler who enjoys a flutter on lotteries, then it is worth examining these options in closer detail.
As mentioned, lotteries come in many shapes and forms. Some would argue that many of the types of lotteries listed here are not lotteries at all. However, the popular consensus is that number-picked games, raffles, bingo, keno, and even scratch cards are all lottery-based games. Let us look at each one in turn, as they can all be found on lotto sites in India.
Number Matching Lottery Games
At its most basic, a lottery game is about selecting numbers and then matching those with the numbers drawn from a pot. In many cases, this is exactly how lotteries work, whether they are online or land-based games.
Most lotteries require players to pick five or six numbers from a series of those available. They are presented with their selection on a ticket. A draw then takes place whereby five or six numbers are drawn at random to represent the winning numbers. Matching a handful of those will result in prizes, with the top prize being delivered to players who match all the numbers drawn from the pot.
Bonus Ball Games
Another type of traditional lottery – and arguably the most popular kind – is a lottery game which features bonus balls. These may be known as Powerballs, Magic Stars, or simply bonus balls. You are probably well versed in how these games work. If not, here is what you need to know.
As well as picking the necessary five or six numbers, players will also be asked to select 1 or 2 bonus balls. This time, they will only win the jackpot prize if they also match the bonus ball or balls alongside the main numbers in the draw. The bonus balls may also be used as substitutes (like jokers or wild cards) in some lottery games. Lotteries which feature bonus balls like the Euro Jackpot, are more challenging to win, on account of the number of combinations. Lottery organisers make up for this by adding more prize tiers to the game.
Side Games
The final type of traditional lottery games out there may feature just five or six regular numbers, and/or bonus balls. However, they stand out because they also have side-games or side-bets, which can be placed alongside the main ticket price.
These side games could involve anything, and everything and the nature of them varies from game to game. Some allow you to multiply cash prizes, and others give you a second chance to win via a raffle. Whatever the side-game happens to be, you can expect to pay a little extra on the top of the cost of a regular ticket to have them activated. Of course, playing lotteries with side-games is optional.
Raffles and Lottery Prize Draws
Raffles and prize draws tend to work in roughly the same way. In a traditional lottery, players pick numbers and must match them to win prizes. Things work a little differently in a raffle. Instead, you are given a serial number, or a ticket number, if you will. All the possible ticket numbers are then emptied into a drum, and a winning ticket is drawn. Raffles may just draw one ticket to win the entire pot, or they may pick several winning tickets. In the latter, it may be that the tickets drawn first win the largest share of the prize, or the prize may be shared evenly between all tickets drawn.
The most famous example of a raffle that can now be played online, is Spain’s El Gordo. This is an annual raffle that takes place once a year, during the Christmas holidays. Every year the jackpot prize is truly out of this world, so El Gordo naturally attracts a huge amount of attention from Spanish nationals and people from further afield.
By contrast, prize draws involve having your name drawn from a hat to win a prize, instead of a serial number or ticket number. Either way, raffles and prize draws are guaranteed to see their prizes won, unlike traditional lotteries which may have their prizes rolled over to the next draw.
Bingo and Keno Lottery Games
Bingo and keno games are also lottery games. If you do not believe us, just check out the gambling laws of many countries in the world, where bingo and keno games are often defined as lotteries. They can routinely be found on many lottery sites. Many people see them as a more realistic chance to win in comparison to the huge jackpot lottos where you’d be lucky to get a single win in your lifetime.
Bingo and keno both involve matching numbers to win prizes. In keno, you select your own numbers and win prizes based on how many you match, just like in lotteries. Bingo games often see you given a random set of numbers. Players will then win prizes by matching lines, two lines, houses (covering all the numbers, also known as coveralls), or by forming patterns when checking off numbers. Because these games are played more regularly, their prizes often pale in comparison to those found in lottery games.
Scratch Cards
Scratch cards can be found both online and in land-based betting outlets. We are sure that you already have a relatively good idea of how these can work, so we do not need to go into too much detail here.
In most cases, a scratch card will feature a 3×3 grid or window, covered by a scratchable surface. If you are playing online, you can click one square at a time to reveal what is underneath. You will win if you match three identical symbols or cash prizes hidden in the window. Some scratch cards have multipliers which can boost what is won, and some have jackpots which are worth considerable sums of cash.
Which Lottery Game Is for Me?
You might be wondering which is the ideal game for you. Ultimately, picking a lottery game should come down to two things. Is it going to be fun to play, and have you got a decent shot of winning? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you are in luck with whatever you happen to have chosen.
