The Responsible Way to Order Mega Millions Tickets Online

It’s that time again…to order your lottery tickets online. With companies, it’s now easy to do just that without having to leave the comfort of your own home. In fact, LottoGopher will send a lottery gopher to fetch the ticket on your behalf. What’s more, this relatively new service allows consumers to order lottery tickets via their credit cards — Fast, easy, and…dangerous?

Some people believe that the opportunity to order lottery tickets such as Mega Millions tickets online with a credit card can be a slippery slope that leads to compulsive gambling. While it is true that not everyone has a problem with gambling, Fox Business reports that using a credit card to order lottery tickets is a bad idea “if the person allows their spending to get out of control.”

So how does one enjoy playing the lottery online without getting “out of control?” The official CA Lottery website offers the following tips on how to play responsibly:

• Order tickets socially. The idea is that doing it alone isn’t as fun as participating in the game with friends and family. The good news is that the site is a social lottery website, offering plenty of ways for consumers to order lottery tickets socially. Consumers can use the website to join lottery pools or chat with other members in the online forum.
• Use your own money when ordering tickets online. This means if you don’t have the money to spend on ordering lottery tickets, don’t ask your friends and family for a loan.
• Stick to a budget. CALottery.com recommends allocating your recreation-spending budget on ordering lottery tickets, since it is considered an entertainment cost.