How It Works

1. Choose a plan

The platform offers three tiers so you can scale participation and features as needed. Limits are enforced in real time.

Visit the our Pricing page for the full list of features and to compare plans.

2. Create a Pool

Start by creating a pool for Powerball, Mega Millions, or a custom game. You set the draw date/time, contribution rules (Fixed, Minimum, or Flexible), distribution method (Equal or Proportional), and select a required legal agreement. The platform uses a two-tier locking system:

• Manual Lock - you can lock your pool to prevent member changes while still adding tickets.
• Auto-Lock - pools automatically lock 30 minutes before the draw, preventing ALL changes to ensure pool integrity.

3. Protect It With an Agreement

Every pool requires a binding agreement. Choose one of the platform templates (Simple, Standard, Comprehensive) or create a custom one. Once members join, assigned agreements become locked to ensure the agreement can not be changed after acceptance.

• Members must view & accept agreements before joining
• Agreement lock status prevents accidental edits
• Rich‑text editor for custom clauses and versioning

4. Add Members & Teams

Invite participants directly by username, share invite links with optional usage limits & expiration, or add entire teams in one step. Join requests via invite links require pool Captain approval; Direct invites required the invited user to accept or decline your invitation. All flows enforce agreement acceptance and contribution rules.

• Direct invitations + shareable invite links
• Bulk add members from reusable teams
• Pool Captain approval required for invitation link join requests

5. Track Contributions & Payments

The payment system records each member’s contributions with support for multiple payment methods (Cash, Venmo, Zelle, CashApp, PayPal, bank transfers, checks, or other). Owners see real‑time paid vs. due amounts and detailed transaction history for the pool itself as well as for each pool member.

• Multiple payments per member with timestamps, payment method, and notes
• Automatic calculation of outstanding balances
• Email paymentreminders

6. Add Tickets (Manual or Automatically)

Pool owners add tickets manually or (on the Pro Plan) use the automatic ticket scanner to extract ticket numbers from photos. Premium & Pro users can upload ticket photos for transparency. Smart validation ensures correct number ranges and prevents duplicates.

• Multiple sets per ticket with special number tracking
• Automatic ticket scanner (Pro) for extracting ticket numbers from ticket photos
• Ticket photo uploads (Premium & Pro)

7. Automatic Ticket Checker (Pro plan)

For Pro subscribers, a secure daily process refreshes official draw results and automatically checks ticket for winning tickets. Matches are calculated using official prize tiers for Powerball & Mega Millions. During the checking window (between draw time and draw results received), Pro users will see an "Awaiting Draw Results" status. Once ticket checking is complete, winning pools display detailed results with prize distribution calculators, and email notifications are sent to all confirmed members (Premium and Pro members). Free users can manually check their tickets or upgrade to access automatic checking.

• Automatic ticket checking for Pro users
• Prize tier calculation
• Prize distribution calculator showing each member's share
• Email notifications for winning and non-winning pools
• Winning ticket breakdown on pool overview

8. Winnings Distribution

When wins occur, pools can allocate prize amounts either equally or proportionally based on contributions. Distribution data is calculated transparently so members understand their winning share.

9. Real‑Time Experience & Notifications

Real‑time updates and push notifications keep dashboards, pool membership, ticket lists, and invitations instantly in sync. When enabled, browser/device notifications inform members of new tickets, invites, and key pool status changes.

• Live dashboard updates for pool cards & invitations
• Push notifications for invites, tickets, lock status, and more

10. Installable Web App

Install LottoPoolers to your home screen for a native-like experience. The Web App includes push notification support, standalone UI, and responsive layouts for an optimized experience on mobile and desktop.