The Maryland Lottery is the third largest source of revenue for the State of Maryland, behind only income and sales taxes and corporate taxes. Last year, 61% of Lottery revenue went to paying prizes to winners, while 7.5% was used for retailer commissions and 3.5% for operational expenses. The remaining 27.1% was deposited into the General Fund of the State Treasury to support public health, safety, education, and public facilities. In addition, the lottery generates revenue for public education, transportation, and health care.
Many people prefer to play lottery games in person, because they know everything is legitimate and they can expect to get paid. Online lottery games, however, are not as safe and often carry a lot of risk. You may even lose your money. If you’re a novice, it may be wise to check out a few tips before making your lottery purchase. Listed below are a few tips to make online lottery purchases a safer experience:
If you’re lucky enough to win a lottery jackpot, you may want to claim it immediately. However, if you don’t live near a lottery office, you may need to mail in your winnings. The lottery office may contact you by phone or by mail, and you must claim your prize within 30 days of winning. Otherwise, your money will sit in the lottery office until you claim it. There are several ways to claim your lottery prize, and the process varies by state.