Can Indians Play Powerball Legally?

When the US lottery giant displayed a record-breaking US$204 Crore jackpot, there was one question on everybody’s mind – Can I also try my luck? Can Indian citizens play Powerball legally? The short answer is yes, but keep reading to get a full picture.

We collected all the most important facts about playing the Powerball legally, from outside the US, right here.

3 Myths that Must Be Debunked

Playing American lotteries from outside the US, is this even possible? Is it even legal for Indians to play Powerball? As there is much debate on the matter, there are quite a few urban myths about this that have sprung up. While the law is strict on certain aspects, it is crucial that you understand it properly so that you can benefit from all the opportunities it provides. Here are a few related myths you should steer clear of:

1. Tourists and immigrants are not allowed to play US Powerball.

This is completely false. As per the official rules of the Powerball lottery, tourists and any other non-American citizens are eligible players. “You do not have to be a citizen or a resident to play the game. You can be a tourist". So, Indians travelling to the US can play Powerball legally during their stay.

2. Non-US citizens can play the US Powerball exactly like Americans do.

This is not entirely true. Non-US citizens can purchase their tickets from authorized retailers, exactly like American players. However, there is an essential aspect that they must be aware of: to collect any prize generated by your Powerball ticket, you cannot take the ticket outside the US.

Once the ticket is taken across the border, it becomes invalid. Players cannot collect lottery wins by using tickets they have brought in another country. The Immoral Acts Law states that “people are prohibited from importing into the United States from any foreign country any […] lottery ticket, or any printed paper that may be used as a lottery ticket, or any advertisement of any lottery.”

This means that Indians can play Powerball legally during their stay in the US, but once they take the physical ticket outside the American border, it becomes invalid. As long as they both play and win the Powerball during their stay in the US, the process is entirely within the legal guidelines. So, Indians are eligible Powerball players.

3. Non-American players are exempt from taxes on their lottery winnings.

This is yet another myth that is completely false. When foreign players participate in the US Powerball, they must abide by the American laws. As such, they are obligated to pay taxes on their US winnings to the IRS. Please note that federal taxes for non-US residents are of 30%, while those for US residents are of 25%. Some states also have different taxation levels for non-residents. The amount of taxes you will have to pay depends on the state the ticket is purchased in.

After paying the taxes in the States, you will also need to pay taxes to the Indian government as well as global income (such as lottery winnings) is taxable in India. For more details on this topic, you should consult a local expert.

Good news: Indians Can Play Powerball Legally – Here’s How:

When there’s a will, there’s a way! So, how can you play Powerball legally from India? There are two main options available to Indians who want to participate to the US Powerball lottery, depending on their convenience and resources:

1. Lottery Tourism – Indians Can Travel to the US to Play Powerball

Indian citizens can travel to the United States to enter the Powerball lottery, as they are eligible players. However, this is the only simple part of the entire process. To make sure that their tickets remain in the US, they can do one of these things:

Plan their trip to the US until after the Powerball draw and extend it if they have any winnings to collect.
Leave their Powerball tickets in safety deposit boxes.
Leave their Powerball tickets to some trustworthy friends.

While this may be a satisfactory option for Indians who want to play Powerball occasionally, it is almost impossible to turn it into a real routine. Aside from the travel costs that would be significantly high, such a lottery routine will inevitably interfere with even the most permissive of work schedules and personal goals.

2. Indians Can Play Powerball Legally Online

The easiest, safest, and most convenient way for Indians to play Powerball is by using LottoSmile's services. On our portal, you can get lottery tickets online without wasting time, money, or effort on traveling to the authorized retailers themselves.

And the entire process on LottoSmile is safe. Indeed, on lottosmile.in, you can play the Powerball lottery from India, and our local agents in the US will purchase the tickets from authorized local retailers on your behalf. As such, you are the official owner of the lottery tickets. Learn more about this amazing lottery on our US Powerball guide.

What Are The Main Advantages of Playing Powerball online?

Playing the US Powerball online is clearly the best option for Indian citizens who want to participate in the game. LottoSmile offers its clients a comprehensive service that includes full support during every step of the process. That being said, here are the main advantages of playing Powerball on our portal:

1. Fast and Secure Purchases

On lottosmile.in, Indians can play Powerball legally and complete their purchases in just a few clicks. They can choose the exact numbers they want to play or they can opt for computer-randomly-generated numbers for their tickets. The ticket-purchasing service is transparent, extremely easy to use and is entirely secured! Find out more about the Powerball ticket cost and where your money goes when you purchase lotto tickets.

2. Periodic Status Updates

Even though local agents purchase the tickets, the Indian Powerball players are the only legal owners of these tickets, as they do so on players' behalf. This means that players are entitled to the full amount of the prize! LottoSmile does not take ANY commission on the prizes.

3. Notifications about Wins

One of the services we offer our users is a timely notification regarding any winnings that they may have had. This will be sent via e-mail or SMS so that users find out about their prizes as soon as possible.

4. Support with the Prize-Collection Process

Our platform offers its users full support with the entire process of collecting their winnings. Moreover, prizes up to US$2,500 are transferred immediately into the winner’s account. When it comes to jackpots or other large prizes, players may be asked to collect these personally, but our team will help them every step of the way.

5. No Additional Fees on Lottery Prizes

When users pay for their Powerball tickets on LottoSmile, they are entitled to the entire service pack, which includes everything that we have mentioned above. Our platform does not impose any other additional fees for winners. Players can collect the entire amount of their prizes without having to worry about paying anything else to LottoSmile.

6. Same play options, more types of tickets

When playing Powerball online, you get the same play options as when buying a ticket in an offline store. For instance, you have the option of adding a multiplier to your ticket if you want to boost the value of your non-jackpot winnings. But, what if you want to buy syndicate tickets. Offline you would have to take care of all the organization. On LottoSmile, you can purchase Powerball syndicate shares and be the owner of more tickets, together with a group. If you want to make sure you never miss a draw, you can get a Powerball subscription or purchase a Multi-Draw package.

So, can Indians play Powerball legally? They most definitely can! Whether they want to buy their tickets online in India or travel to the US to purchase them in person, they should know that they are eligible candidates for the game as long as they play by the rules. As such, they can participate in one of the most popular American lottery draws and may even win it!