Guides
Everything about crypto lotteries, in plain English.
84 guides on how draws are verified, how to pay with the crypto you hold, what your odds really are and how to stay safe.
Complete guides
Our long, in-depth pillar guides. Start here.
Crypto lottery: the complete guide
Everything about crypto lotteries in one place: how they work, how winners are chosen, odds, fees, wallets, safety, tax.
Lottery taxes: the complete US guide
How lottery winnings are taxed in the US: federal withholding, the 37% top rate, state tax, lump sum vs annuity, pools, W-2G.
Lottery odds: the complete guide
How lottery odds work, with the maths made simple: combinations, prize tiers, multiple tickets, expected value.
Provably fair: the complete guide
What provably fair really means: seeds, hashes and nonces, how to verify a result yourself, where it fails.
Bitcoin lottery mining: the complete guide
What a Bitcoin lottery miner is, the real odds of finding a block with a Bitaxe or NerdMiner, the costs, documented lucky finds.
After you win the lottery: the complete guide
What to do in the first hours, days and years after winning a big lottery prize: securing the ticket, advisers, taxes, privacy, scams.
Decentralized lotteries
What decentralized really means, and how on-chain, no-loss and verifiable lotteries compare.
What is a decentralized lottery?
What "decentralized lottery" means: five things that can be decentralized, how a draw can be made verifiable, and how to check any lottery that claims it.
What is a no-loss lottery?
A no-loss lottery lets you play without spending your deposit: yield pays the prizes. How prize savings protocols like PoolTogether work, and the risks.
How on-chain jackpot lotteries work
How a smart-contract jackpot lottery works: stablecoin tickets, prize pools, verifiable randomness, liquidity providers, claiming prizes and the risks.
Crypto lottery types compared
Operator-run, on-chain jackpot, no-loss, mining and casino-style crypto lotteries compared: how each works, who you trust, what you can verify and the main risks.
Best crypto lottery sites: how to compare them honestly
Searching for the best crypto lottery sites? Most lists are paid rankings. Here is a transparent scorecard you can use to compare any site yourself, including ours.
Crypto basics
Cryptocurrency, blockchains, smart contracts and Bitcoin mining, explained from scratch.
What is cryptocurrency? A beginner guide
What cryptocurrency is, how it works without a bank, the main kinds (Bitcoin, Ether, stablecoins), how people use it and the risks, explained for complete beginners.
What is a blockchain? A simple guide
A blockchain is a shared ledger nobody controls alone. How blocks, hashes and consensus work, why it is hard to cheat, and what it can and cannot do.
What is a smart contract?
A smart contract is a program stored on a blockchain that runs exactly as written. How it works, what it can do, famous failures and why audits matter for lotteries.
How Bitcoin mining works
How Bitcoin mining works: transactions, blocks, the hash puzzle, difficulty, block rewards, mining pools and why it is a lottery. Step by step, with no jargon.
Bitcoin halving explained
The Bitcoin halving cuts the block reward in half about every four years. Past halvings, the effect on miners and supply, and what it means for lottery miners.
Lottery games and strategy
How Powerball and Mega Millions work, which game is best, and the stories behind big wins.
How to play Powerball
How to play Powerball step by step: pick 5 numbers and a Powerball, draw days, ticket price, Power Play, prize tiers with odds.
Powerball prizes and payouts
Every Powerball prize tier with the base prize, the odds, how Power Play changes them, the annuity vs cash payout and what you really keep after tax.
How to play Mega Millions
How to play Mega Millions after the 2025 changes: pick 5 numbers from 70 and a Mega Ball from 24, $5 tickets, built-in multiplier, odds, draw days and tips.
Powerball vs Mega Millions
Powerball or Mega Millions? Compare ticket price, jackpot odds, odds per dollar, prizes, draw days and cash options, and see which gives you the better deal.
Which lottery has the best odds?
Which lottery has the best odds of winning? Jackpot odds for 14 major lotteries, why smaller games beat giant jackpots, and how to compare odds per dollar.
Best lottery to play: how to choose
No lottery beats the odds, but some are a better deal. Compare payout share, odds per dollar and trust to choose a lottery sensibly.
Quick pick vs your own numbers
Quick pick or your own numbers? Your odds are identical, but there is one real difference: how likely you are to share a jackpot.
Lottery winners who lost it all: what really happens
Famous lottery winners who lost their fortunes, what research really says about winners, and why the 70 percent go broke claim is shaky.
Is playing the lottery gambling?
Is the lottery gambling? Yes, by any legal or psychological definition. Why lotteries are treated differently and how to keep play healthy.
What happens to a lottery annuity if the winner dies?
What happens to a Powerball or Mega Millions annuity if the winner dies: payments to the estate, heirs, tax and planning questions.
Can lottery winners stay anonymous?
Can you win the lottery anonymously? Which states let winners stay private, how trusts work and the privacy steps that matter.
How lottery jackpots are calculated
How the advertised lottery jackpot and the cash option are worked out, where jackpot money comes from, why interest rates matter and why big jackpots rise so fast.
Lottery rollovers explained
What a lottery rollover is, why jackpots roll over, how long they can last, how odds relate to rollovers and what it means for your chances and for prize sharing.
How lottery draw machines work
How lottery ball machines pick numbers, how random number generators are used instead, the security checks around draws and how online and crypto lotteries differ.
Unclaimed lottery prizes: what happens to them
What happens to unclaimed lottery prizes: claim deadlines, where the money goes, famous expired tickets, how to check old tickets and how to avoid missing a win.
Probability basics for lottery players
Probability made simple for lottery players: chance, combinations, independence, expected value and variance, with plain examples and no heavy maths.
Bitcoin lottery mining
The odds, costs and real stories of solo mining Bitcoin.
What is a Bitcoin lottery miner?
A Bitcoin lottery miner is a small, cheap device that solo-mines for a whole block. How it works, what it costs and the real odds.
NerdMiner vs Bitaxe: odds, cost and which to buy
NerdMiner or Bitaxe for lottery mining? Compare hashrate, odds of finding a block, power use, cost and what each is good for. The Bitaxe has far better odds.
Solo mining vs pool mining Bitcoin
Solo or pool mining Bitcoin? Compare payouts, variance, fees and income. The expected value is nearly the same; the experience is not.
Has anyone solo mined a Bitcoin block?
Yes: small solo miners have found Bitcoin blocks, including Bitaxe owners. What reports say, how rare it is and why one lucky find does not change the odds.
Is Bitcoin lottery mining worth it?
Is Bitcoin lottery mining worth it? Electricity, hardware, break-even maths and when it makes sense as a hobby. A frank look.
Basics
What a crypto lottery is, how to judge one, and how it compares.
How to choose a crypto lottery: a 12-point checklist
Not every crypto lottery is fair or safe. Use this 12-point checklist to judge payouts, randomness, transparency, fees.
Is a crypto lottery legit?
Is a crypto lottery legit or a scam? Learn the signs of an honest crypto lottery, the warning signs of a fake one.
Crypto lottery vs traditional lottery
Compare a crypto lottery with a traditional lottery: how you pay, how winners are chosen, payout share, transparency, speed, privacy, risks and who can play.
Crypto lottery vs crypto casino
A crypto lottery pools ticket money into prizes for a few winners. A crypto casino bets against the house. Compare odds, house edge, speed.
Blockchain lottery explained
What is a blockchain lottery? How smart contracts hold tickets and pay prizes, why randomness is the hard part.
Smart contract lottery risks
Smart contract lotteries promise trustless draws, but bugs, upgrade keys, weak randomness and phishing can cost you money.
Fairness and randomness
How winners are chosen, and how to check a draw yourself.
What is drand, the public randomness beacon?
drand is a public randomness beacon run by independent organisations. Learn how it produces unpredictable.
Verifiable randomness explained
How can you trust a random number? Verifiable randomness comes with proof. Learn how VRFs.
How random number generators work in lotteries
Pseudo-random vs true random: how lottery RNGs work, why seeds matter, how drawing machines compare, and what makes a number generator trustworthy.
SHA-256 hashes explained for lottery fairness
SHA-256 turns any data into a short fingerprint. Learn how hashes work, why they cannot be reversed, and how a ticket-list hash lets you check a lottery draw.
How to verify a CryptoDrawz draw, step by step
A hands-on guide to checking any CryptoDrawz draw yourself: find the ticket list, look up the drand value, recompute the winners and compare every hash.
Provably fair vs audited lotteries
Provably fair and audited are not the same thing. Learn what each claim proves, what it leaves out and how to combine them to judge a crypto lottery.
Server seed, client seed and nonce explained
What the server seed, client seed and nonce are in provably fair games, how they combine into a result, why each exists and how to check them yourself.
Provably fair vs RNG
Provably fair and RNG are not opposites. A certified RNG is tested by labs, while provably fair lets players verify each result.
How to verify a provably fair bet, step by step
A practical walkthrough for verifying a provably fair bet: get the seeds, hash the server seed, compute the HMAC.
What is Chainlink VRF?
Chainlink VRF gives smart contracts random numbers with a cryptographic proof. How a request works, how it is verified on-chain, and how it compares with drand.
Buy and play
Step-by-step guides to buying tickets with the crypto you hold.
How to buy crypto to pay for lottery tickets
A beginner guide to buying the crypto you need for lottery tickets: choose an exchange, buy a stablecoin, withdraw to the right network.
How to buy lottery tickets with Bitcoin
A clear guide to buying lottery tickets with Bitcoin: choosing the amount, paying on the Plisio page, confirmation times, fees.
How to buy lottery tickets with USDT
Pay for lottery tickets with USDT: pick the right network, avoid the biggest mistake of sending on the wrong chain.
How to buy lottery tickets with Ethereum
Buy lottery tickets with ETH: how the payment page works, why gas fees matter for a small purchase.
How to buy lottery tickets with USDC
Pay with USDC for lottery tickets: pick the network, send the exact amount, pay from your wallet on Arbitrum or through the payment page.
How to play a crypto lottery with MetaMask
Connect MetaMask, add Arbitrum, sign the order and pay in USDC or USDT. A safe, step-by-step guide to playing a crypto lottery with MetaMask.
How to play a crypto lottery with Trust Wallet
Use Trust Wallet to buy lottery tickets: connect with WalletConnect on desktop or mobile, switch to Arbitrum, sign the order and pay in USDC or USDT.
How weekly lottery draws work
How a weekly crypto lottery schedule works: when tickets close, what happens at the cut-off.
What to do if you win a crypto lottery
Won a crypto lottery prize? Follow this practical checklist: verify the win, protect your wallet, claim safely, plan for tax, avoid scams and keep your privacy.
Odds and maths
Your real chances, prize pools and the myths to ignore.
Crypto lottery odds explained
How to work out your odds in a crypto lottery with a shared prize pool: the formula, worked examples for 100 to 5,000 tickets.
Lottery expected value explained
Expected value shows what a lottery ticket is worth on average. Learn how to calculate it.
How lottery prize pools work
What is a lottery prize pool? Learn how ticket sales become prizes, how the pool is split between grand.
Lottery myths, debunked
Do hot numbers exist? Is a number overdue? Does buying early or at a lucky shop help? Common lottery myths, tested against how random draws really work.
The gambler's fallacy, explained
The gambler's fallacy is the belief that past random events change future odds. Learn the famous example and how to avoid it when you play.
Does any lottery strategy work?
Can a strategy beat a lottery? An honest look at number selection, syndicates, buying more tickets and "systems": what changes your chance.
Safety and responsible play
Scams, budgets and where to get help.
Crypto lottery scams: 15 red flags
Learn the most common crypto lottery scams, including fake winner emails, seed-phrase phishing and rigged sites.
Responsible crypto gambling: a practical guide
Practical tools for responsible crypto gambling: budgets, time limits, cooling-off, separate wallets and self-exclusion, plus how crypto changes the risks.
Gambling addiction: warning signs and where to get help
Warning signs of problem gambling, quick self-checks, practical steps to regain control and support organisations in the US, UK and worldwide.
How to set a lottery budget, and keep to it
A simple method to set a weekly lottery budget, separate gambling money from real money, track spending and stop when the money is gone.
Wallets and crypto basics
Wallets, networks, fees and stablecoins in plain English.
How to set up a crypto wallet (beginner guide)
A plain-English guide to setting up your first crypto wallet: choosing a type, installing it safely.
Crypto wallet security checklist
A practical crypto wallet security checklist: recovery phrase storage, hardware wallets, approvals, phishing defence.
Arbitrum for beginners
Arbitrum One is a layer-2 network on Ethereum with low fees and native USDC. Learn how it works.
How to get USDC or USDT on Arbitrum
Three ways to get USDC or USDT onto Arbitrum One: withdraw directly from an exchange, bridge from Ethereum or swap from ETH.
Crypto gas fees explained
What are crypto gas fees, why do they change, who gets them and how to keep them low when you buy lottery tickets? Plain-English explanation with a.
Stablecoins explained for lottery players
Why lotteries use stablecoins like USDT and USDC, how they hold their value, what depegging means and how to choose between them for paying for tickets and.
Legal and tax
What to check before you play and what winnings can mean.
Is crypto gambling legal?
The legality of crypto gambling and online lotteries varies by country and state. Learn how to check your local rules.
Crypto lottery winnings and taxes
Are crypto lottery winnings taxable? An overview of how tax authorities may treat prizes, record-keeping tips and questions to ask a tax adviser.
Reference
Glossary, a complete FAQ and the history behind it all.
Crypto lottery glossary
A plain-English glossary of crypto lottery terms: hash, drand, VRF, gas, stablecoin, layer 2, prize pool, expected value, recovery phrase and more.
Crypto lottery FAQ: 40 questions answered
The complete CryptoDrawz FAQ in one place: tickets, payments, wallets, draws, randomness, prizes, refunds, taxes, safety and responsible play.
The history of lotteries
A short history of lotteries: ancient games, Roman and medieval draws, lotteries that funded colonies and cities.
The history of crypto gambling
How crypto gambling evolved since 2009: early Bitcoin dice sites, provably fair hashes, Ethereum smart contracts.