Skip to main content

US MegaMillions Betting Surges in Australia

Recently updated on October 23rd, 2018

Despite calls for banning third-party betting on lotteries, Australian bets are reportedly rising for the US MegaMillions. According to TheLotter.com, AU ticket sales have ‘sky-rocketed’, along with bets. Many punters have been using Lottoland and TheLotter.com to place their bets, probably for the last time. The jackpot for the American lottery has reached US$900 million (±AU$1.3 billion) this week. This is the second highest ever, with the first being a Powerball jackpot in 2016, worth US$1.586 billion (AU$2.23 billion).

So, why the sudden surge in bets? Well, CEO Luke Brill of Lottoland claims that this could be the last time that Aussies can bet through third-party sites. This is because ‘synthetic lotteries’ and third-party bets will soon become illegal. The federal government has voted to ban all synthetic lotteries, including Lottoland from January 2019. This will make it illegal for AU gamblers to bet on lottery results from other countries and states within Australia.

US MegaMillions Betting Legality in Australia – NZ Gambling News

US MegaMillions Draw

According to Lottoland, at least 20 000 people have entered the draw. They expect this number to double by Saturday’s US MegaMillions draw. While TheLotter.com has not released exact figures, they claim to have ‘tens of thousands’ of local bettors buying tickets. TheLotter.com reportedly buys local tickets for AU punters in the United States. However, they also take bets on the draw.

If there are no winners on Saturday, the jackpot could really reach US$1 billion. Still, with so much international interest, there could be a winner. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that participants from Australia could actually take home the jackpot. On the other hand, a winning bet could pay out a similar amount.

Pay out terms for America’s biggest jackpot, though, are a little less simple. In this case, either it will be paid out as a lump sum after a 40% tax deduction or a 30 year annuity.

Lottoland on Winner

Lottoland’s CEO has guaranteed that players will receive the same payout as the US MegaMillions in the same format as the actual jackpot. He claims that the company are ‘not going to renege on it’, because they have insurance. Brill has also slammed TheLotter’s business model stating that it is less legal in Australia. Either way, this jackpot could well be the biggest break for Australians before January. Keep visiting NZ Casinos for the results.



Related Posts

New eSports Arena to Open at Luxor Casino in 2018

Luxor Casino eSports Arena - New Zealand

Recently updated on January 17th, 2018The success of eSports in 2017 has motivated many casino operators to cash in on the worldwide phenomena. With the expected inclusion of eSports in major sporting events like the Olympics, it’s no wonder that casino operators are considering buying into these events. MGM Resorts’ will be the first to […]

Spanish Grandmaster’s Tax Dispute impacts Chess Championship

Chess Grandmaster Faces Poker Tax Dispute – NZ Poker News

Recently updated on April 9th, 2018Online poker was a casual pastime for Spain’s current chess grandmaster. However, his short-lived Poker career in 2011 has come back to haunt him. Francisco Vallejo Pons has been ‘hounded by tax officials’ over his stint in online poker rooms. Though Vallejo claims that they have no reason to come […]

BetEasy Launched with Ad Campaign

BetEasy Rebrand Campaign Launched by CrownBet – NZ Betting News

Recently updated on August 13th, 2018William Hill Australia is no more after combining with CrownBet as BetEasy. The merger, which was announced in early 2018, will consolidate the Australian betting industry. CrownBet won the bidding process and agreed to stop using the William Hill branding by October. However, their decision to change to BetEasy was […]

NZCT Installs Facial Recognition Software for Self-Excluded Players

NZCT Protecting Addicts

Recently updated on March 11th, 2019The New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) will install face recognition software at their Gisborne venues. As a pre-emptive measure, this will help self-excluded players to stay away from gambling. Mike Knell, the CEO of NZCT, has revealed that the implementation is part of a legal obligation to help problem gamblers. […]