Massachusetts lawmakers passed on a chance to legalize online sales of lottery tickets earlier this year despite support for the change from the state’s governor. Jackpocket recently stepped in to fill that void in a way and now more Bay Staters might be aware of the service.
Jackpocket is the newest sponsor of the Boston Red Sox. Conversely, the Red Sox are the freshest sport entertainment promotional partner for the lottery ticket courier service. Jackpocket has been deploying this strategy for a while and it seems to be working.
Jackpocket, Red Sox announce collaboration
According to a news release, Jackpocket has secured a multi-year sponsorship contract with Massachusetts’ Major League Baseball franchise. The visible effects of the contract should begin essentially immediately as the 2023 MLB season wanes. Those visible elements for Red Sox fans will include:
- Giveaways like game tickets and VIP experiences
- Signage inside Fenway Park
- Jackpocket ads on Red Sox digital properties
- In-game activations
Bay Staters who are new to Jackpocket can get their first $2 lottery ticket free in the app using the code “SOX” at checkout as well. For those new to the app, Jackpocket is a courier service for lottery tickets.
After customers place their ticket orders in the app, Jackpocket staff fulfill those orders at physical lottery retailers. They then scan the physical tickets into the app. The app not only allows users to check their tickets but also collect any winnings of $600 or less.
True online lottery ticket sales remain illegal in Massachusetts despite the efforts of some legislators and Gov. Maura Healey. Thus, using a digital courier service like Jackpocket is currently as close as Bay Staters can come to playing the lottery online.
Jackpocket has been expanding its service at a steady pace, recently making Massachusetts its 17th active US jurisdiction. Promotional partnerships like this have also been steadily growing for Jackpocket.
Jackpocket spending to reach sports fans
It’s clear that Jackpocket considers people who are fans of sports teams or attend games as members of its target customer base. The release notes that the Red Sox make 12 sports partnerships for Jackpocket. Among them, five of those deals are with MLB franchises.
Jackpocket’s correlation between sports fans and potential customers has some backing in research. For example, 4% of respondents to a 2022 PlayPennsylvania survey of lottery players said they use the jersey number of their favorite athlete when selecting numbers for lottery draws.
More importantly, a 2022 Texas Lottery survey revealed that “a majority of past-year players … were between the ages of 18 and 44.” That’s the exact same target age range for most sport entertainment enterprises like the Red Sox.
Other reasons sports partnerships make sense for Jackpocket are that sports fans tend to have some expendable income and are willing to spend that money on entertainment. While the partnership may not bring more wins for Red Sox fans to enjoy on the baseball diamond, it could bring easier access to wins in lottery games.