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A bill banning the sale of New Jersey lottery games online has advanced from committee and looks like it might get a floor vote. That may be disappointing to lottery players, but there are others who would welcome the ban.
It’s a move that will be taken well by retailers who want to ensure continued foot traffic to their stores, and by lottery courier services operating in the state.
How the New Jersey online lottery bill came to be
When you want to buy a lottery game in New Jersey, there are two options. First, you can drive to the gas station and buy physical tickets as long as the business is a licensed New Jersey Lottery retailer.
Second, you can use an online lottery courier service, such as Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, or Lotto.com to buy tickets on your behalf. This is ideal if, let’s say, you’re in the middle of watching the Giants play, and you don’t want to leave the house.
But, what you can’t do, is go to an official New Jersey lottery website or app and purchase tickets online. Retailers and lawmakers have made sure online lottery sales haven’t become legal.
As such, a bill submitted by Sen. Joseph P. Cryan (D) may go to the governor’s desk. The bill, New Jersey’s SB4150, would prohibit the sale of lottery games “via the internet” by the state lottery or any contractor the lottery hires.
Why retailers don’t want you to buy NJ lottery games online
Imagine owning a convenience store in Trenton. You get a ton of foot traffic from people coming in to buy lottery tickets.
Some folks are there for nationwide draw games like MegaMillions, while others buy scratchers specific to New Jersey. That foot traffic means you’re selling more gas, snacks, and drinks, keeping your business afloat through the good times and the bad.
Online lottery sales are a threat to your business’s survival. If your lottery customers decide to buy tickets from their phones, there’s a chance they’ll stop coming to your store and purchase games.
If lottery foot traffic dwindles, so does your profit. Your bottom line becomes an issue. If you lose enough traffic, your store may have to close its doors.
Here’s how New Jersey Food Council Vice President Mary Ellen Peppard put it when she spoke with NJ Spotlight News this week:
It’s not just the loss of the sale of the Lottery (ticket), it is all the ancillary sales for somebody that used to go to that store for that ticket. They’re buying their groceries, or a cup of coffee, or fuel, so that is a significant loss.
New Jersey Food Council VP Mary Ellen Peppard via NJ Spotlight News
The New Jersey Lottery has tried to launch online …and failed
For those who’ve wanted an online lottery option in New Jersey and aren’t satisfied with couriers, the New Jersey Lottery feels your pain. The NJ Lottery has been proposing online sales since 2022. Earlier this year, it firmed up plans to begin in 2025, provoking the current attempt to block it.
The legislative lockdown is surely frustrating for the New Jersey Lottery Commission. It took two years to move from proposing an iLottery to passing the regulations necessary for launch.
Additionally, an online lottery entity is key for the Lottery, which wants to ensure its platforms appeal to newer generations. Gen Zers are mobile-dependent, and an online lottery app would be critical to the NJ Lottery’s sales plans.
