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The online lottery courier app Jackpocket announced it has entered into a partnership with Barstool Sports, making it the “Exclusive & Official Digital Lottery Partner of Barstool Sports.”
With the deal, Jackpocket will integrate its brand into Barstool’s content. The news follows a similar partnership between Barstool and DraftKings, Jackpocket’s parent company.
Additionally, Barstool fans can play lottery games with brand personalities, including:
- Founder Dave Portnoy
- Big Cat and PFT Commenter, the hosts of Pardon My Take
- Wallo and Gillie from Million Dollaz Worth of Game
Barstool: an “American entertainment powerhouse”
Jackpocket was the first third-party US online lottery courier app to gain licensure. It is the most prominent lottery app in the US today in iOS downloads. Jackpocket is licensed in 17 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, and allows lottery players to order tickets via mobile app anywhere within approved state lines.
In addition to Barstool, Jackpocket has exclusive partnerships with the NHL, MLB, NFL, and media companies like Z100 and Gannett.
While those partnerships include vast-reaching audiences, Barstool provides a different focus and attracts a niche market of passionate and opinionated fans. Jackpocket made clear it wants to get those fans in its corner.
In a press release, Senior Vice President of Lottery at DraftKings Peter Sullivan, commented on the new partnership.
Barstool is an American entertainment powerhouse that Jackpocket fans know and love. This collaboration allows us to reach our players directly and bring Jackpocket’s easy, convenient lottery experience to more like-minded Americans. We’re excited to bring fans opportunities to have fun and potentially win big with the best in the business.
Jackpocket deal is an extension of DraftKings-Barstool relationship
The partnership between Barstool and Jackpocket is a given if you trace the dots back to what the two companies share in common. Both have a relationship with DraftKings.
DraftKings Inc. agreed to purchase Jackpocket for $750 million in February, and the sale went through in May.
DraftKings also has a betting partnership with Barstool Sports, which it announced after the 2024 Super Bowl in February. That timing was the earliest Barstool could enter into a new deal after Portnoy purchased back his brand from its former owner, PENN Gaming.
On the new working relationship with Jackpocket, Portnoy said:
Everyone knows we’re teamed up with DraftKings, and now we’re excited to be bringing Jackpocket into the mix. Our relationship is all about making it super easy for our fans to get in on the action, no matter where they are. What’s better than being able to play the lottery, and potentially win the jackpot, straight from your phone. Jackpocket makes it simple and fun.
PENN purchased a 36% stake in Barstool in 2020 and acquired the remaining 64% in February 2023, hoping to take the brand to new heights as online gambling and sports betting became legal in more markets.
However, Portnoy and Barstool’s controversial personalities proved an uphill battle in a regulated environment. The two parties mutually agreed to part ways, with Portnoy purchasing the brand for $1 and promising to focus solely on content.
Jackpocket remains the market leader in the lottery courier space
Since the DraftKings acquisition, Jackpocket has added online casino games, including several exclusive table games, at its online casino in New Jersey. The Jackpocket online casino operates through a partnership with Caesars Interactive Gaming. It is the only online lottery courier with iGaming operations.
Though it was the first, and remains the largest online lottery courier, additional competition has entered the market in recent years. The New York Lottery approved its fourth licensed courier in July, theLotter, to join Jackpocket, Lotto.com and Jackpot.com.
Of course, the industry continues to evolve as technology improves and more states embrace online lottery services. Jackpocket’s venture into iGaming and recent partnership with Barstool look to keep it one step ahead of the competition.
