Lottery News

Last week the West Virginia Lottery announced that it will now accept credit card purchases as a form of payment for buying lottery tickets.

It's a piece of great news for West Virginia lottery players as now they have an additional way to pay their tickets off. The players can now use their credit cards to make their ticket purchases.

As per the new lottery rules, a bank-issued credit card or bank card is liable to be used to buy tickets for all the lottery games played across West Virginia, including the draw and instant games. This change will come into effect from July 1.

According to the Lottery, the retailers may set a minimum amount of debit or credit card purchases at their stores, since credit card transactions incur a minimum fee for sellers. Moreover, a single transaction at the store related to lotteries, or the purchase of tickets cannot exceed $200.

It is important for the players to note that retailers do not have to accept debit cards and credit cards as payment types and that some licensed retailers are still allowed to accept cash as the only mode of payment for lottery purchases.

With convenience stepping up as a crucial factor, many state lotteries beginning to accept digital forms of payment for their lottery products. A month ago, even the Washington Lottery announced that it would be allowing its players to buy tickets with a debit card.

Though there are some state lotteries that are still hesitant to start credit card purchases because, there are some complications involved, with it.

With purchases made through debit cards, a player is not permitted to overdraw their balance when attempting to make purchases. Whereas using credit cards creates a possibility for them to go into debt and play their favorite lottery.

Last year, there was one such incident where a UK couple had lost out on a £182 (US$254 million) EuroMillions jackpot, when they discovered that the payment for their winning lottery ticket did not process, due to insufficient funds in their bank account, the only one time their numbers came up in the drawing.

While state lotteries are continuously making efforts to suit the evolving needs of customers in the digital world, they have to make way on how to navigate the concept of cashless payments on the table.

In a press conference, the Washington Lottery stated that "We recognize the world is evolving into a cashless society," and "Many players carry little to no cash on a regular basis. Our goal is to make players' lives more convenient by providing them the ability to purchase our products with debit cards at lottery vending machines."

With the introduction of such convenient methods of making payments, it is important to keep in mind the concept of Responsible Gaming and not spending more than what you can actually afford. Identify the warning signs and know when your habit of playing lotteries turns from fun and entertainment to Problem Gambling.

If you are worried about yourself or someone you know is indulged in problem gambling, contact organizations such as the National Council on Problem Gambling, the National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, and the World Lottery Association (WLA) - Responsible Gaming Framework, and get instant help!