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Playing the lottery online has never been more accessible to customers than it is now. More than a dozen states run their own state-run online lottery, while 18 others feature some form of lottery couriers.
Couriers aren’t the same thing as a state-operated iLottery. It’s important to know the difference and what that means for your purchasing options.
In a nutshell:
- An online lottery or iLottery means that the state lottery offers its products directly to the customer through its website. That may include some products that only exist in a digital form, like e-Instants.
- A lottery courier is a private company that allows players to order conventional paper lottery tickets through a third-party website or app, and buys them from the state lottery on the player’s behalf.
Read on for more detail about each model and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
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State-run iLottery
What qualifies as a state-run online lottery?
These states have a legalized online lottery that is run by a state commission or board or regulators. Purchases of these games can be made online directly through the state’s lottery website or mobile application if they have one available.
Where are state-run online lotteries available?
Unless noted, these states offer sales of draw games and online instant tickets.
- Connecticut (Draw Only)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (Instants Only)
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
On top of that, three states offer a subscription service that allows customers to purchase tickets in advance for draw games up to a year. They are:
- Maryland
- New York
- North Dakota
Of the three, only North Dakota accepts online payments for the subscriptions. Maryland and New York both require mailed-in payments to complete the purchases.
Courier services
What is a lottery courier service?
A lottery courier is a middleman that acts as a third-party service for customers that want to play the lottery online but may not have availability through the state’s official lottery services.
Similar to Door Dash, a customer uses the couriers online application to make a lottery purchase. The courier then physically buys the tickets at a legal and participating retailer in the state of purchase. The couriers then scan the ticket and provide that scan to the customer as proof of the sale. In most cases, couriers offer just draw game tickets. Some, provide select scratch ticket purchase options.
Where are couriers available?
There are five different couriers that operate in the US. Each courier has different fees that it charges for its services.
Altogether, 19 different states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, have at least one lottery courier operating inside of it.
- Arizona**
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado**
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Maine
- Massachusetts**
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska**
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio**
- Oregon**
- Puerto Rico
- Texas**
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
**Select scratch tickets also available
What are the five lottery couriers in the US?
Currently, available couriers in the US are Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, Lotto.com, theLotter and Mido Lotto. Each varies in what states they are available and which games they offer for online purchase.
Advantages of state-run online lotteries
No added fees
There’s no hidden fees when using an official state lottery. Each ticket price is the same as if you purchased it at a retail location. You won’t be charged for depositing money into your account, or for a purchase, as you can be by using a courier.
Easier to deal with winnings, disputes
Couriers can directly deposit any winnings into your account that are less than $600. However, after that, the physical ticket needs to be arranged to get to you, which can present added challenges. When using a state-run lottery, there’s no added steps. If a win is $600 or more, you’re directed to a state lottery office to collect the winnings.
Also, any issues with a game or transaction will be handled directly by the operating commission. When using a courier, any transaction issues can’t be resolved by the commission, as they didn’t officially authorize it.
Some states also don’t support the purchase of their lottery tickets through a courier. California, for instance, will nullify any winnings if they discover a ticket was purchased through a courier.
Wider game selection
Couriers can’t offer the same amount of games that an official iLottey can. In states that offer digital instant games, their library of options can climb in the hundreds. That’s before even factoring in all the different pay levels you can consider. Many eInstant games range from as low as $0.10 per play, up to $50. Couriers also can’t offer Keno as of yet, while many state-run online lotteries do.
Advantages of lottery couriers
Availability
For the most part, couriers are available in states that don’t offer a state-run iLottery. That leaves these couriers as the only option if you want to play online. It’s not always easy to be able to get to a retail location during a busy day or week, so having the courier available is convenient to be able to compete for a big Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot.
Efficiency
In the same breath, being able to save a trip to a retailer is helpful. Courier purchases are pretty self-explanatory and require little time to execute. That can be beneficial if looking to purchase a scratch ticket in an available state as well. Couriers purchase the ticket and provide a graphic of the scratch-off process. It cuts down on the time of the customer in all phases.
