There are a large number of lotteries around the world that hold their draws on Saturdays. Whenever there is a winner, these lotteries proudly announce that the jackpot has been won, and they look forward to the next draw. However, when there is no winner, each lottery announces the rollover of the jackpot (where applicable) and leaves all lotto players burning to ensure they get a ticket to the next draw.
Because the first chance to purchase a ticket after a big draw is usually on a Sunday, there has been some speculation as to whether or not tickets can actually be sold on a Sunday. In this article, we will answer one of the most common questions we receive from our readers—can you buy lottery tickets on Sunday?—and get you on your way to purchasing your next ticket faster than you can say “Oh my God, I think I won!”
Can You Buy Lottery Tickets on Sunday?
If you are looking for a quick answer so that you can run to the store or log onto your preferred online lottery website, then yes, you can purchase lottery tickets on a Sunday. In fact, not one of the 45 American states that host lotteries have any ban or prohibition on the sale of lottery tickets on Sunday. This means that getting a ticket to some of the best lotteries, such as the US Powerball and Mega Millions, is possible any day of the week.
What About Other Lottery Products?
The lack of prohibition on the sale of lottery products is not restricted to the sale of new draw tickets. There is also no restriction on the sale of scratchers or any other lottery games on a Sunday. As you can imagine, this means that you can also purchase your favourite scratch cards any day of the week to stand your chance to win.
Are There Any Exceptions to This?
Considering that lottery sales are allowed even on a Sunday, you would think that there are no exceptions to when you can purchase your next ticket. However, this is only half true. While there are no imposed restrictions, there are those restrictions that occur naturally because of the nature of the game or because of life itself.
These exceptions are often navigated around but are still things to keep in mind when planning when to purchase your tickets:
Physical Time Limits: If you are a lottery player who prefers buying your ticket in person rather than using a lotto app on your mobile device, then you will need to keep in mind that lottery retailers can only sell lottery tickets while they are open. This seems like an incredibly basic thing to remember. However, in the digital age where most things—including online lotto agents—are accessible 24/7, it may be easy to forget that the corner market where you buy your tickets closes at 10 pm. This is especially true on a Sunday when many physical retailers close early.
Game Breaks: A game break is a period between when the sales for the current draw close and the sales for the next draw open. An example of this is the US Powerball, which experiences a game break between 9 pm and 10 pm on the night of its draw. While most lotto websites will still allow the sale of tickets during this period with the understanding that the ticket will only be valid for the next draw, individual retailers and systems will not issue tickets during this time. One system that does not dispense tickets during a game break is the Winstation machines—automated lottery vending machines that allow the sale of draw game tickets and scratch cards.
Operator Regulations: While not something common, lottery operators can sometimes place regulations on the sale of tickets that can change when they become available. An example of this is when the Michigan Lottery informed all retailers in the state that they will not be allowed to sell any tickets during the COVID-19 lockdown period of 2020 unless the store was able to ensure that players maintained social distancing while purchasing their ticket. Any stores that could not meet this mandate due to physical constraints or other reasons were restricted from selling tickets.
Conclusion
The answer to this question is very straightforward: yes. While some things could impact your ability to purchase tickets, these exceptions are not limited to just Sundays and could also affect you any other day of the week. Thankfully, due to the advent of online lottery websites, you can be almost guaranteed a chance to purchase a ticket for the next lottery draw regardless of where you are or what day or time it is. Think you might have the luck needed to join the ever-growing list of the biggest lottery winners ever? Then purchase a ticket to your favourite game—after all, you can’t win if you don’t play!
