Kentucky Online Lottery 

The Kentucky Lottery is a popular and legal way to gamble in the Bluegrass State. In part, that popularity is due to Kentucky being one of the few states where online lottery ticket sales are allowed.

You can play all the big multi-jurisdictional draw games like Powerball  Mega Millions and Powerball in Kentucky. The Kentucky Lottery also features a number of in-state draw games, plus dozens of instant play games you can play online.

Read on for everything you need to know about playing the Kentucky Lottery.

Who can play the Kentucky Lottery?

The minimum age is 18 years old to play the Kentucky Lottery. That means if you want to buy a lottery ticket at a Kentucky retailer, you have to show ID to prove you are at least 18. Meanwhile, when playing the Kentucky Lottery online, you have to give personal information to prove you meet the minimum age requirement.

The Kentucky Lottery is open not just to KY residents but to anyone inside state lines. That also goes for Kentucky online lottery tickets, with the lottery using geolocation technology to make sure you are physically located in KY before any ticket purchases.

How to buy Kentucky Lottery tickets online

To purchase Kentucky Lottery tickets online, you will first need to visit the Kentucky Lottery website or download the mobile app available to Apple and Android users. Then, you will need to create a Fun Club account.

This means that, yes, you can buy Mega Millions tickets online. The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 11 p.m. ET and the jackpot is at $1.55 billion. Drawings are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

To create your account, you’ll need to provide the following:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Physical address (in the US)
  • Phone number

When setting up your Kentucky Lottery account, you’ll also create a username and password.

Once your age and identity have been verified and you’ve created your account, you can deposit funds to purchase tickets. You can fund your Kentucky Lottery iWallet using the following methods:

  • Credit or debit card
  • Linking your checking account to your Fun Club account
  • PayPal
  • iGifts or iFunds that can be purchased at KY Lottery retailers

Note that depending on which method you choose, you might have to provide more personal information (e.g., bank account information, Social Security number).

The minimum deposit is $10.

Kentucky Lottery online deposit limits

The Kentucky Lottery sets the following default limits on deposits into online accounts:

  • Daily deposit limit: $849
  • Weekly deposit limit: $850
  • Monthly deposit limit: $4,250

You can adjust these limits downward, if you like, by logging into your account and visiting the “My Limits” section.

Withdrawing winnings from your Kentucky Lottery account

Note that you cannot withdraw funds deposited into your iWallet. The KY Lottery says this is due to banking regulations. But if you win money with lottery tickets you’ve purchased online, those winnings are available to withdraw.

You can withdraw your winnings via a linked checking account or linked PayPal account, or you can have a check mailed to you (allow 7-10 business days).

Kentucky Lottery mobile app

As mentioned above, the Kentucky Lottery has its own mobile app through which players can fund their accounts, purchase tickets, check results, and more.

Those with Apple devices are directed to search for the app in the App Store. If you have an Android device, you can download the KY online lottery app from the Google Play Store. The lottery website has direct links to both.

When using the Kentucky Lottery app, you may need to enable geolocation. The same is true when purchasing tickets via the website. This is to verify you are actually in Kentucky when buying tickets. (Don’t try a VPN.)

You actually don’t even need a Kentucky Lottery Fun Club account to download and use the app. You can use the app to find retailers nearby and/or check winning numbers. However, to purchase or scan lottery tickets with the Kentucky Lottery app, you’ll need an account.

Kentucky Lottery online games

The Kentucky Lottery was launched in 1989. Today there are more than 3,400 Kentucky Lottery retailers all around the state where you can purchase tickets.

Starting in April 2016, Kentucky began selling lottery tickets online as well. That’s still something of a rarity. Today, eight states still offer online lottery ticket sales.

In May 2023, an Ashland woman won a $504,000 jackpot from a $1 wager on the Cleopatra Clusters instant game. She took home about $386,000 after taxes and set a Kentucky Lottery record for the largest online jackpot won.

Here is a rundown of all the games for which the Kentucky Lottery sells tickets online.

Draw games

  • Powerball — KY participates in this classic draw game available in 45 states plus a few other locations. For just $2 (or $3 if you choose the Power Play option), you pick five numbers from 1-69 plus the Powerball from 1-26. The largest-ever Powerball jackpot was awarded in November 2022 and was worth $2.04 billion. Drawings occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions — Players from 45 states, plus a few other spots, can play Mega Millions, which also costs $2 (or $3 with the Megaplier). Pick five numbers from 1-70, plus the Mega Ball from 1-25. If you get them all, you win the jackpot. The most recent jackpot was the largest in the history of the game. A Floridian won it for $1.58 billion.
  • Lucky for Life — Close to half the U.S. plays Lucky for Life as well, including Kentucky. This $2 daily drawing is like Powerball and Mega Millions in that you pick five numbers from 1-48, plus the Lucky Ball from 1-18. If you get them all and win the jackpot, you win $1,000 per day for life or a one-time payment of $5.75 million.
  • Pick 3 — This twice-a-day drawing costs from $0.50 to $5 to play, or more depending on your play type. Choose three numbers between 0 and 9, playing them straight, box or both. For just a dollar if you play it “straight” and get all three numbers in the right order, you can win $600.
  • Pick 4 — Another twice-a-day drawing that essentially plays just like Pick 3, only you are picking four numbers for a top prize of $5,000.
  • Kentucky 5 — This nightly drawing costs just $1. You pick five numbers from 1-39. Get three correct and win $5, get four and win $250, and get all five and win the jackpot, which can sometimes go as high as six figures. For an extra $1, you can add the Xtra multiplier to double non-jackpot prizes.
  • Keno — Pick from 1 to 10 numbers, then watch as every four minutes 20 numbers are drawn (out of 80). You can wager anywhere from $1 to $20 per number, with additional options to add a multiplier and/or a Bulls-Eye Prize. The top possible Keno prize is $100,000 and can go up as high as $300,000 with the Bulls-Eye Prize added.
  • Cash Pop — Like Keno, the Cash Pop drawing happens every four minutes. Players pick from 1 to 15 numbers and can also wager $1, $2, $5 or $10 per number. The top possible prize is $2,500.
  • Cash Ball 225 — Another once-every-four-minutes drawing game in which you pick four numbers between 1-35 plus a Cash Ball number between 1-25. Play for as little as $1, and if you get all four numbers plus the Cash Ball, you win $225,000.

Instant play games

You can also play a wide variety of instant play games on the Kentucky Lottery website or app. These are like electronic versions of scratch-off tickets. Hence, you find out right away whether you have won (and don’t wait for a drawing).

At last check, there were around 60 different instant play games available in Kentucky. You can play many of them for as little as $0.10 or as much as $20. You can even try out demo versions of the games before you play them for real money.

The top prizes for most of the games are $100,000 or $200,000. Some games have even larger top prizes such as Cleopatra Clusters ($333,940) and 50x The Cash ($250,000).

Many of the instant play games feature themes from favorite online slots, such as Double Diamond, Siberian Storm, and Da Vinci Diamonds Tic Tac Toe.

The Kentucky Lottery also has a selection of traditional scratch-off games available only at retail locations. These games range from $1 to $30 to play with some featuring prizes as big as $1 million.

Kentucky Lottery promotions and events

The Kentucky Lottery frequently features both online promotions and social promotions. Online promotions are available to anyone playing the games via the website or app, while social promotions are open to those who follow the lottery’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts. These promotions include:

  • Deposit match bonus up to 50% (online promotion)
  • Free Powerball play for registering for Fun Club (online promotion)
  • Refer a Friend promotion: $50 for you, $20 for new sign-ups (online promotion)
  • Lucky Kentucky $300 ticket prize package (social promotion)
  • Winfluencer $100 Bonus Bucks Giveaway (social promotion)

The Kentucky Lottery often offers additional promotions, including second-chance drawings.

Where the Kentucky Lottery money goes

The lottery is hugely popular in Kentucky, even more so since the introduction of online ticket sales. During the most recent fiscal year (FY22), the Kentucky Lottery sold just under $1.68 billion in tickets. That’s 5.7% more than the year before, continuing a trend of the lottery breaking its sales record every year.

As is true of many state-run lotteries, proceeds from the Kentucky Lottery primarily go to fund educational programs. Here is how the Kentucky Lottery describes its proceeds streams:

  • 69% of ticket sales go back to the players in the form of cash prizes, incentives and awards.
  • 21% of ticket sales go to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to fund college scholarships and grant programs.
  • 5% of ticket sales go to Kentucky Lottery retailers.
  • 5% of ticket sales go to administrative costs.

According to the Kentucky Lottery, since the lottery began in 1989, more than $6.4 billion has been raised for various state causes, the majority of which has been for educational programs.

Responsible gambling and the Kentucky Lottery

The Kentucky Lottery is committed to promoting responsible gambling and helping those suffering from problem gambling.

The lottery website features its own informational page with lots of information about how to gamble responsibly, how to spot signs of problem gambling, and links to resources where you can get further help and information. The KY Lottery also has guidelines in place designed to help prevent problem gambling from occurring. Options include:

  • Setting limits on your daily, weekly, and monthly spending.
  • Regulating how much time you spend on the KY Lottery website via an adjustable time clock.
  • Self-excluding from purchasing online lottery tickets for whatever time period you like, including permanently.

If you are seeking more information about how to gamble responsibly, check out our responsible gambling page here at PlayKentucky.

Kentucky Lottery FAQ

You must be at least 18 years old to play the Kentucky Lottery, whether you are purchasing lottery tickets in person at a KY Lottery retailer or online via the lottery’s website or app. That is the same minimum age for other types of gambling in the state as well, including horse race wagering and Kentucky sports betting.

If you buy a lottery ticket and win up to $600, you can redeem that winning ticket at any Kentucky Lottery retailer. The same goes for online wins up to $600. The money will automatically appear in your Kentucky Lottery Fun Club account and you’ll receive an email letting you know how to go about withdrawing your winnings. (Remember, you can only withdraw winnings from your online KY lottery account and not funds you have deposited.)

For larger wins, here are the instructions:

  • To claim prizes of $600 to $5,000, visit an Authorized Cashing Agent or Super Cashing Agent. (Some retailers can also cash these tickets; check with the Kentucky Lottery website to see which ones.)
  • To claim prizes of $5,000 to $25,000, visit an Authorized Super Cashing Agent or the Kentucky Lottery Headquarters in Louisville.
  • To claim prizes of $25,000 and up, visit the Kentucky Lottery Headquarters in Louisville.

You can also claim all prizes up to $99,999 by mail by filling out a prize claim form and sending the form, the winning ticket and a copy of your valid ID to the lottery’s Claims Department, 1011 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202.

Note that the maximum account balance for online lottery purchases is $4,250. You also cannot have more than $5,000 in winnings in your account. If you win more than that, a check for the remainder will be sent to you.

Above, we mentioned iGifts and iFunds as options for funding your Kentucky Lottery account.

An iGift is like a voucher you can purchase from any KY Lottery retailer. After purchasing the voucher, you can log into your account and follow the instructions to redeem it and have the funds appear in your account.

Meanwhile, iFunds provide a different way to fund your account. After logging in, select “Player Card.” You can either print this card or just show the barcode to a retailer on your phone. You can then request iFunds of a certain amount from the retailer who will scan your card, enter the amount, take your payment and give you a receipt. The funds will then be in your account and available to use to play the games.

Yes, gambling winnings, including money won playing the lottery, are considered income and are subject both to Kentucky state income tax and federal income tax. Be sure to report your gambling winnings as required.

The Kentucky Lottery Corporation (KLC) oversees all lottery games in Kentucky. The KLC ensures the fairness of all games as well as the security of players’ information and funds deposited. Player funds are further secured, as they are held in a bank insured by the FDIC.