Online Lottery Couriers Lotto and Jackpocket Continue to Expand Operations

Posted on: October 3, 2024, 08:47h. 

Last updated on: October 3, 2024, 09:50h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The trailblazing companies that created a new lottery sector when they launched online courier services for players in states where tickets are unavailable for purchase on the internet continue to expand into additional states and with new product offerings.

online lottery courier Massachusetts
A woman purchases Massachusetts Lottery scratch-off tickets in a Worcester convenience store. Another online lottery courier service now provides convenient gameplay options for Bay State residents. (Image: Telegram & Gazette)

Lotto.com and Jackpocket.com are the two leading online lottery courier services in the United States. Lotto, founded in 2018, announced Thursday it has joined its rival in launching its operations in Massachusetts.

Lotto told Casino.org that its courier service began operations in the Bay State this morning at 9 a.m. People aged 18 and older physically located inside the state can now purchase draw and scratch-off tickets through the Massachusetts Lottery without ever leaving their couch.

Along with buying tickets for interstate games like Powerball and Mega Millions, people in Massachusetts can play other popular draw games run by the state lottery such as Megabucks, Mass Cash, Lucky for Life, and The Numbers Game. Massachusetts marks Lotto’s 11th state entry along with Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas.  

Richest Lottery States

Lotto continues to chase Jackpocket in terms of the number of states in which it offers its services. Jackpocket, the older of the two rivals founded in 2013 and acquired by DraftKings earlier this year, lives in 19 states, including Massachusetts.

Last year, the two richest lottery states in sales were New York at $10.54 billion and Florida at $9.8 billion. Neither state offers online sales, but Jackpocket is live in each while Lotto is only available in New York.

Lotto’s Massachusetts entry is a major development for the firm, as Massachusetts, despite being the 16th most populated state, has the fifth-richest lottery with 2023 sales of more than $6.1 billion. However, Lotto, unlike Jackpocket, also offers players the opportunity to play Massachusetts Lottery scratchers.

Before online lottery couriers can begin offering their services, a state lottery must approve their operations and issue the company a license to purchase tickets on behalf of others.

Lottery Couriers 

Jackpocket changed the lottery game for millions of lottery players who long complained about needing to visit a physical lottery retailer in the digital age.

Forty-five states operate a lottery, but many continue to prohibit online sales to protect their partnered brick-and-mortar retailers that benefit from players purchasing products in their stores. Proponents of online lottery sales say internet offerings increase revenue for the lotteries and the programs they support.

For seniors, the disabled, and others simply not wishing to venture out, online lottery couriers provide a solution in states where they’re allowed.

When a customer purchases a lottery ticket via a courier, the mobile app or website confirms the order and later sends a high-resolution back and front receipt with the numbers played. Jackpocket and Lotto secure the paper tickets in a locked, fireproof vault.

Winning tickets are automatically credited to the player’s online account. For larger prizes where the player must come forward to redeem the prize with their state-run lottery, the ticket is physically delivered to the winner.

Couriers charge a fee ranging from 15% to 25% on each order, plus a 10% to 25% fee on deposits. They don’t charge a commission on winnings or account withdrawals.

Despite the high fees, courier services eliminate the risk of a player losing a paper ticket or the ticket being damaged by a spilled cup of coffee, weather, or another calamity.