Let’s Get Digital: Jackpocket Launches First Online Lottery Service In New York

Written By Marco Cerino on January 12, 2021

A new era of New York lottery began on Tuesday.

Third-party lottery app Jackpocket launched its services in the Empire State, which becomes the tenth state to allow players to play the lottery via mobile devices.

The launch ends a two-year process that started in 2019 when the New York State Gaming Commission approved new regulations allowing for digital lottery courier services.

Jackpocket is the first such service to enter the New York market.

What exactly is Jackpocket?

New Yorkers will now be able to play daily games like Win 4, Take 5 and multistate jackpot games like Mega Millions and Powerball. The app allows players to buy tickets from home for the drawings, each of which features jackpots exceeding $500 million.

“As a native New Yorker and growing up watching my father play the lottery, being able to use Jackpocket in New York is personal for me,”  Peter Sullivan, CEO and founder of Jackpocket, said in a statement. “Jackpocket’s mission is to make the lottery more accessible and convenient to play. I’m proud that now it’s easier than ever to play your favorite games from anywhere in New York.”

Launched in 2013, Jackpocket has helped players win over $22 million. New York joins nine other states leveraging the services of Jackpocket:

  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Minnesota
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Texas
  • Washington, D.C.

Jackpocket follows player safety and responsibility measures, including limits on deposits and spending, self-exclusion lists and access to resources. The app is the first lottery service to receive a responsible gambling certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling’s Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program.

The app locks player accounts to specific ticket serial numbers. It also allows players to deposit money via cards or bank accounts, similar to services offered by online casinos and sportsbooks in nearby New Jersey.

Could sports betting be the next New York gaming expansion?

New York seeing lottery go digital comes at a time when it appears legalized sports betting could do the same.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has broached the subject of expanding sports betting beyond retail locations. Although some lawmakers have not shown much support of the governor’s plans and have since proposed their own.

Currently, the only online betting option for New Yorkers is to leave the state entirely to take advantage of mobile wagering in states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Much of New Jersey’s dominance nationally comes from recruiting players crossing state lines.

Cuomo’s plan to expand sports betting focuses on tasking the New York State Gaming Commission with selecting a single operator to offer mobile wagering.

New York lacks the gaming history and breadth of competition of New Jersey and other states. However, the success of Jackpocket could help outside companies gain more of Cuomo’s trust. At the same time, it’ll be easier to convince sportsbooks to bring their workers across the Hudson if they can actually operate in the state.

Many bars and taverns in New York offer Quick Draw machines for keno-style draw games that run around the clock. The market is there for the expansion of digital gaming, if pursued and legislated correctly.

Photo by Dreamstime
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Marco Cerino

Marco Cerino is a 2007 graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and a 2017 graduate from the Masters program at Temple University. A freelance writer based in South Jersey, he's worked in sports at the minor and major league levels.

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