Players of the New Jersey Lottery already had been able to purchase such tickets online. But starting late last week, another online option went live: Lotto.com.
The site has begun offering lottery ticket sales with a web-based platform — no app needed — and also no need to open an account with funds from which to draw down. Instead, it’s pay-as-you-go.
The company also is partnering with QuickChek, the brick-and-mortar convenience store chain with 138 stores in the state.
Lotto.com is the second licensed courier in the U.S., following on the heels of Jackpocket.
Lotto.com touts Statista research showing that 57% of e-commerce sales in the U.S. occur outside of mobile apps.
No downloads, no deposits
“Our team is here to promote the lottery in a way no one else imagined — a digital first user-centric way that requires no app downloads or deposits,” Thomas Metzger, CEO of Lotto.com Inc., said in a statement.
“At Lotto.com we are on a mission to increase contributions to good causes, tying them to every ticket sold. To help us achieve this, we’ve partnered with QuickChek, a leader in convenience and service. Coupling this offering with our best-in-class lottery distribution platform, we are able to deliver a seamless online experience for players in the most secure way possible.”
The service is open to anyone 18 years of age, the same minimum age for horse race wagering. Casino play and sports betting have a minimum age of 21.
Lotto.com notes that self-exclusion for problem gamblers is an option, and that there are age verifications and geolocation checks in place to ensure “proper usage.”
And while stories of misplaced lottery tickets range from heartwarming to somewhat tragic, in this case the ticket is “digital” and cannot be lost. Also, the company notifies you if you win, rather than you having to remember to keep checking the latest winning numbers against your tickets.
The power of the lottery
Lottery sales in the U.S. reached almost $90 billion in 2020, with $27 billion going off the top to fund a variety of community programs and most of the rest going to lottery winners.
QuickChek reported four winners of $1 million or more between last September and January, including a $33.2 million Powerball jackpot winner on Jan. 31.
Lotto.com has plans to expand nationally, and aims to bring this level of accessibility to lottery players in many other states across the U.S.
Jackpocket already is available in New Jersey as well as in Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, D.C. A 2017 law opened the door to such sales in New Jersey.
At the time, New Jersey Lottery acting Executive Director James Carey said of Jackpocket, “In New Jersey, 5.5 million adults actively use their smartphones to make daily purchases for everything from food to music. Now online players can use their smartphones to access a more convenient way to participate in the lottery within state borders.”
In the case of both online lottery operators, if you win up to $600, you get paid directly. For bigger prizes, the company will deliver the winning ticket to be redeemed personally by the player for tax purposes.
Lotto.com is offering ticket sales for Pick-6, Cash 4 Life, Mega Millions, Powerball, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, and Pick-3 games. The company charges a fee of 20 cents for every $1 ticket and 50 cents for a $2 ticket.
Photo by Shutterstock
