An official lottery is a lottery that operates on a state or national level and that provides a means for winning money prizes. These are often organized for charitable purposes and raise funds to support government operations or education.

The first official lotteries appeared in the 15th century in Burgundy and Flanders, with towns attempting to raise funds for fortification or assistance of the poor. They also appeared in England and the United States to raise money for public purposes.

Many modern lotteries, however, have become gambling games. The legality of lottery play depends on the type of lottery, and the definition of gambling is stricter in many countries than in the U.S. A few European countries, such as France and Italy, have banned or disbanded the holding of public lottery games.

There are several ways to purchase official lottery tickets online. The first and most safe method is to buy lottery tickets from a state-regulated and approved online ticket sales platform.

Some states offer lottery subscriptions that allow you to pick your numbers ahead of time and have them automatically buy and check your tickets. These subscriptions can be purchased for weeks, months or a year at a time.

Another safe and secure option for purchasing lottery tickets is to use Jackpocket, an online courier that sells in-state drawing games and national lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions. The company’s geofencing protections have been audited and verified by gaming compliance leader GLI, and its segregated FBO bank accounts are separate from operational cash.