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How We Review Lottery Websites

A LottoRanker review records what a lottery site sells, who licenses it, how you pay and how it pays prizes, read from the site's own pages and terms. This page shows how a review is put together and what each part tells you.

Same checks for every site Facts dated when read Gaps marked, not guessed
Table of Content 6
  1. How a review is put together
  2. What each review records
  3. What a review can and cannot tell you
  4. Affiliate links
  5. Where to go next
  6. Reviews: common questions

The process

How a review is put together

  1. Read the site

    We go through the site's pages and terms to see what it sells and on what conditions.

  2. Record the facts

    Licence, lotteries on sale, payment methods, ticket proof, terms and limits are stored with the date we read them.

  3. Mark the gaps

    Anything we could not confirm is shown as a check for you to make, not filled in.

  4. Score

    An editor sets a score out of 10 from the recorded checks.

  5. Update

    When a site changes its terms, licence or lotteries, the review is updated and every page that shows the site follows.

The score and the facts feed our rankings. How the lists are ordered is on the how we rank page.

The checks

What each review records

  • Licence

    Who licenses the site.

    So what: A licence tells you which regulator you can complain to.

  • Lotteries on sale

    The official draws the site sells entries to.

    So what: Check your lottery is on the list before you open an account.

  • Payments

    The deposit and withdrawal methods the site lists.

    So what: A site that takes your card may not pay out to it.

  • Ticket proof

    How the site shows an entry was bought for you, such as a scan of the official ticket.

    So what: Proof of purchase matters if you win.

  • Terms

    A link to the site's terms, with the fees and limits they set.

    So what: Service fees can make the same line cost more online.

  • Limits

    The responsible gambling tools on offer, such as deposit limits.

    So what: Set a limit when you open the account, not after.

  • Countries

    The countries the site does not accept players from.

    So what: A site that blocks your country can close the account later.

  • Price per line

    What one line costs at the site against the official price. Being recorded now.

    So what: Until a price is checked, the review shows it as not on file.

Read with care

What a review can and cannot tell you

A review shows

  • What the site sells and on what terms, as it states them
  • The date each fact was read
  • Which checks are still open

A review cannot tell you

  • Whether you may legally play where you live
  • Whether the site will verify your account
  • Whether a line will win: the odds are the lottery's

How we are paid

Affiliate links

We earn a commission when a reader opens an account at a site through our links. It costs you nothing extra.

How our affiliate relationships work is set out in our disclaimer.

  • No extra cost to you
  • Commission paid by the site

Reviews: common questions

What is a review based on?

A review records what the site states in its pages and terms. Where we could not confirm something, the review marks it as a check for you to make.

What does the score out of 10 mean?

It is our editors' overall judgement from the recorded checks. Read it with the facts beside it, not on its own.

How do I report a mistake in a review?

Use the contact form and name the page and the fact. We check it and update the review.

Does a review tell me my odds of winning?

A review does not give odds for a site. The odds belong to the official draw and its rules. Our guide to lotto winning odds explains how to read them for each game. A site that sells entries cannot change them.

Does a review cover welcome offers?

A review lists the offer a site shows and the terms it states. Read those terms before you claim anything. The bonus pages show offers with their conditions beside them. An offer we could not read is marked as a check for you to make.

Does a review decide where a site sits in the lists?

A review supplies the facts and the score. The order of the lists comes from a separate method. The how we rank page sets out how that order is worked out. A review on its own does not place a site.

Which safer play tools does a review look at?

A review notes the responsible gambling tools a site lists, such as deposit limits. Setting a limit when you open the account is easier than adding one later. Our responsible gambling page covers self-exclusion and where to get help.