A Union County woman who works in the field of health care has cashed a $9.4 million New Jersey Pick 6 Lotto prize.
In announcing the windfall, Jackpocket said that according to historical data and consultation with gambling industry firm Eilers & Krejcik, it is believed to be “the single largest legal-and-regulated win ever on a mobile device in the United States.”
It comes via one of the latest gambling innovations in New Jersey, which in 2019 became the first state to formally authorize lottery courier services, allowing the placement of orders through a mobile app.
Lottery ticket courier Jackpocket reported its app has seen an 838% increase in active players this year. Jackpocket has had nearly 630,000 winners this year, with more than 7,000 users winning over $100 more than once, the company reports.
“At Jackpocket, we want to meet users where they are and shepherd the future of lottery play so that it’s easily available to all who have a mobile device. We’re always excited to see our users win big,” said Peter Sullivan, CEO and founder of Jackpocket and a New Jersey native and Rutgers graduate.
“This win not only allows us to reflect on the industry’s immense growth in New Jersey, but also across the U.S.,” Sullivan added. “The Jackpocket team is invigorated by this historic moment in our mission to create a more convenient, fun, and responsible way to play the lottery.”
More than 120,000 winners in New Jersey alone have collected $26 million in winnings in the past two years.
Jackpocket a hit in the Garden State
The lucky winner, identified only as Carol, told a Jackpocket official that the big win hasn’t set in for her yet, as she mentioned that it feels like she’s “living in a dream.”
Carol has been using Jackpocket to play the lottery for over a year, usually playing Pick 6 and Jersey Cash 5 because she believed she had the best chances to win with those games, though she never thought she would win such a large amount. Her winning numbers were picked randomly.
New Jersey players can place ticket orders in the Jackpocket app on Mega Millions, Powerball, and Cash4Life as well.
Not your grandfather’s ticket buying
A key selling point for Jackpocket is that while traditional lottery sales skew toward an elderly demographic, 66% of current Jackpocket users are under 45 years old.
A 9% fee on each deposit is the revenue side for Jackpocket — but if a ticket wins, the consumer keeps all of the winnings, minus the IRS charge for wins over $600.
There is a subscription option for customers who might only want to wager when a multi-state jackpot hits a chosen milestone target such as $100 million or $200 million. At that point, a pre-set amount goes toward purchase of a ticket.
Jackpocket also offers consumer protections such as daily deposit and spend limits, self-exclusion, and in-app access to responsible gaming resources.
The company is a member of the National Council on Problem Gambling, and it is the first third-party lottery service to receive a responsible gambling certification from the NCPG’s Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program.
Photo: Shutterstock
