See all our tips and tricks on lottery, rush, and standing room tickets.
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When ticket lotteries first began, you would have to enter your name in person at the theater and be present to find out if you won. But in the last year or so, more and more shows have been transitioning their lottery online. Critics of the change argue that this new system detracts from the point of the lottery: Broadway fan community building. But I’m here to tell you that the digital lottery is, in fact, AWESOME. Here’s why.
1. You don’t have to give up your entire day
Waiting to get tickets to "The Lion King". Photo by Amy Graff
In order to enter the in-person lottery, you would have to wake up early, pack snacks, go to the theater, and hope that the person next to you is nice enough to hold your spot while you try and find a bathroom after hours of sitting in line. And if you didn’t win, you had just wasted an entire day. Now, all of that is as easy as click, click, click! And if you don’t win, oh well! You can just try again tomorrow. Which leads me to my next point...
2. You can enter more often
Make sure you don't pass out from bliss.
Since you no longer have to spend your entire day fighting the crowds in Times Square, you can enter every single day, from anywhere! If you’re on the train, sitting at work, ordering a coffee - all it takes is 30 seconds for you to pull up the website on your phone and enter your information. Haven’t seem Hamilton yet? Let’s be real - unless you want to spend a chunk of change on tickets for the next available show (which is months away), the lottery is your best bet for tickets. Set an alarm on your phone and enter every morning!
3. The weather is always on your side
4. You can try for more than one show at a time
Don't forget to fill out your Wishlist for even more chances to see theater!
Unless you somehow have the ability to be in more than one place at a time, this is a definite point for the digital lottery. Now, there’s no limit to how many different shows you can enter each day!
5. You have a better chance of winning
Wicked Lottery winners. Photo by Michael Nagle
Sure, the fact that the lotteries are now digital means that more people enter. But when you take into account that you can enter every lottery every day - your odds of winning really do go up! Good luck!
Do you like the digital lottery or has it introduced too much competition? Let us know in the comments below!