Ohio has one of the nation’s most developed lotteries, with dozens of game types at all price points. The Ohio Lottery even has its own weekly gameshow featuring contestants who won their way in via select scratch-offs.
The one thing the Ohio Lottery lacks is online play. However, players can buy Ohio Lottery tickets online via third-party courier apps that fulfill their orders at licensed retailers.
$3 Off First TicketsGet Bonus
How to Buy Ohio Lottery Tickets Online
Three prominent and legal courier apps offer Ohio Lottery tickets online:
- Expert Review: Jackpocket Ohio
Supported Ohio Lottery Games:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Lucky for Life
- Classic Lotto
- Rolling Cash 5
- Pick 5
- Pick 4
- Pick 3
Accepted Payment Methods in Ohio:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Discover
- Apple Pay
- Electronic Bank Transfer
- Venmo
- PayPal
- Expert Review: Jackpot.com Ohio
Supported Ohio Lottery Games:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Lucky for Life
- Rolling Cash 5
- Pick 4
- Pick 3
Accepted Payment Methods in Ohio:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Discover
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Expert Review: Lotto.com Ohio
Supported Ohio Lottery Games:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Lucky for Life
- Classic Lotto
- Pick 3
- Rolling Cash 5
- Scratch-Offs
Accepted Payment Methods in Ohio:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- PayPal
- Venmo
The only way to safely play the Ohio Lottery online is through reputable courier companies that purchase physical tickets from authorized retailers whenever customers place orders.
For example, if a customer places an order for Powerball online in Ohio, a legitimate courier app will send a local employee to a licensed lottery retailer to buy an official ticket in person. The courier app will scan a copy of the ticket, upload it to the customer’s account, and notify them if they win.
Ohio Lottery couriers pay prizes of less than $600 straight to customers’ accounts. For bigger wins, they contact customers to facilitate the transfer of the physical ticket to the customer. Ticket transfer options include hand delivery for the largest jackpots, in-person at the courier’s local office, or via insured mail delivery.
Websites that offer Ohio Lottery games online without purchasing official tickets operate contrary to US law. Plus, it’s impossible to predict whether they’ll be able to pay if a customer wins a jackpot-level prize.
Ohio Lottery App Review
The Ohio Lottery app (iOS and Android) promises convenience, but it needs to improve its ticket scanner before we can say it delivers on that front.
Users with older mobile devices report minimal issues scanning tickets and seeing their results. The problem appears primarily on newer iPhones and Androids.
Newer devices capture the barcode clearly at a farther distance than the app can handle, prompting it to tell users to bring the phone closer to the ticket, where the barcode becomes too blurry to process.
It seems like a minor bug with an easy fix, yet complaints regarding the Ohio Lottery ticket scanner date back years. Some of it is undoubtedly user error, but lottery apps in other states do not receive nearly the volume of scanner-related complaints as the Ohio Lottery app.
Besides, the Ohio Lottery app is due for an overhaul anyway. Aesthetically speaking, it is the most visibly dated state lottery app BettingUSA has reviewed to date (see screenshots below).
Setting that aside, the Ohio Lottery app offers a handful of other features players may find useful:
- Mobile Cashing: MyLotto Rewards members can sign in on the mobile app, scan winning tickets, and transfer wins between $50 and $25,000 directly to their bank accounts.
- MyLotto Rewards: Sign in to your Ohio Lottery rewards program account to redeem tickets for points, play MyLotto digital games for rewards, redeem points in the rewards catalog, and enter MyLotto Rewards drawings through the app
- Draw Games Database: Winning numbers, current jackpots, past results, and rules for all Ohio Lottery jackpot games and pick games
- Scratch-Offs Database: List of all available scratch-offs, with rules and remaining prizes at every prize level
- Keno Drawings: Watch live keno drawings in the app, look up past draws, read the rules, and see hot & cold numbers
- Random Number Generator: Pick a draw game and generate random numbers to use in your next entry
- Retail Locator: View a map or list of the nearest Ohio Lottery retailers based on your phone’s location information or by any zip code
- ePlaySlip: Choose your game, numbers, number of drawings, and generate a barcode to show to your Ohio Lottery retailer for faster in-store purchases
Ohio Lottery App Screenshots
Is It Legal to Buy Lottery Tickets Online in Ohio?
The Ohio Lottery does not endorse courier apps, but it has stated clearly that they are legal.
Here’s how the Ohio Lottery put it in a statement given to a local news outlet when asked about the legality of courier apps:
“There’s nothing in the revised code that prevents courier companies from operating in Ohio, however the Ohio lottery does not support, endorse, condone, encourage, recommend, or approve of the use of couriers or their applications, which are not affiliated with the Ohio Lottery.
“Because the applications are not authorized or licensed, the Ohio Lottery cannot guarantee the validity of purchases made via these applications or that appropriate payment will be made to players for tickets redeemed through these applications.
“Accordingly, the Ohio Lottery will not be liable for the actions or omissions of these private courier companies, nor will it be liable for their nonpayment or underpayment of any lottery prize.”
The key takeaways from that statement:
- It’s legal to buy lottery tickets online in Ohio via courier apps
- It’s imperative to use reputable couriers only because the Ohio Lottery does not regulate them
Ohio Lottery Games
The Ohio Lottery offers a bigger game selection than most state lotteries, with multiple games available in numerous categories. The complete list includes:
- Multi-State Jackpots: Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lucky for Life
- State-Operated Jackpot Game: Classic Lotto
- Daily Drawings: Rolling Cash 5, Pick 5, Pick 4, Pick 3
- Keno: Touch & Go, Classic, and The Lucky One
- EZPLAY Games: Pay, print, and see if you’ve won instantly
- Cash Explosion Show: Play Cash Explosion scratch cards for a chance to be a contestant on Ohio’s weekly Cash Explosion show
- Scratch-Offs: 80+ scratches priced $1 to $50
Based on recent year-end financial reports, all Ohio Lottery draw games have an aggregate payout percentage of around 57%, while scratch-offs average around 71.1%.
| Game | Cost | Record Jackpot | Jackpot Odds | Any Prize Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball | $2 | $2.04B | 1 in 292.2M | 1 in 25 |
| Mega Millions | $2 | $1.54B | 1 in 302.6M | 1 in 24 |
| Lucky For Life | $2 | $1k/day for Life | 1 in 30.8M | 1 in 8 |
| Classic Lotto | $1 | $41.8M | 1 in 14M | 1 in 54 |
| Rolling Cash 5 | $1 | $1.1M | 1 in 576K | 1 in 9 |
How to Claim Ohio Lottery Prizes
Players have multiple ways to claim Ohio Lottery prizes, depending on the amount won.
- Up to $599: Any Ohio Lottery retailer
- $50 to $25,000: Direct bank transfer by signing in on the app and scanning the winning ticket or in person at licensed Racinos
- $600 to $5,000: In person at Super Retailer locations
- Any Amount: Complete an online claim form to receive a check in the mail
- $600 and Above: Complete a mail-in claim form to receive a check in the mail
Contact the Ohio State Lottery
Players can reach the Ohio Lottery via e-mail form here or call any of the following numbers for help with specific issues:
- Customer Service Center: 1-800-686-4208
- Winning Numbers: 1-800-589-6446
- Problem Gambling Help: 1-800-589-9966
- MyLotto Rewards Help: 855-319-7189
Ohio Lottery FAQ
All Ohio Lottery courier apps serve customers 18+.
Yes. Players can order Ohio scratchers online via Lotto.com.
Lottery apps pay prizes under $600 directly to customers’ accounts automatically immediately after the drawing. For prizes of $600 or more, players receive their physical tickets from their couriers and must claim them from the Ohio Lottery by the following deadlines:
- Draw Games: 180 days after the date of the drawing
- Scratch-Offs: 180 days after the game closes – see this page for every scratch-off ticket’s claim deadline.
No. However, you must be physically present within state lines when purchasing Ohio Lottery tickets.
Randy Ray is a recognized gambling expert, with industry experience dating back to the early 2000’s.
