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Days after competitor Jackpot.com launched in New Jersey, online lottery courier site, TheLotter, debuted in the Garden State. The Malta-based company is now poised to grab a slice of the $3.7 billion New Jersey lottery market as its iLottery footprint has reached four states.
PlayUSA reached out to TheLotter for comment about the New Jersey debut but did not receive a response.
New Jersey is now home to three online lottery couriers
TheLotter’s entry into the NJ iLottery market effectively triples the couriers in the Garden State, a relatively astonishing development considering two weeks ago the state had one lottery courier: Jackpocket.
Couriers play an important role in the US lottery universe because they allow customers to purchase lottery tickets online. For example, anyone within New Jersey state lines can open TheLotter’s NJ app (iOS only) or desktop site, deposit money, and buy tickets for various games including:
- Mega Millions
- Powerball
- Pick-6
- Jersey Cash 5
TheLotter then takes that money and purchases the ticket on the user’s behalf; this is why it’s a courier rather than an authorized lottery retailer.
Lottery couriers have flourished over the past few years for one main reason. The world is becoming more mobile by the day, but state lotteries have been slow to adopt online sales.
Of the 45 states with lotteries, only 12 (plus Washington D.C.) allow their lotteries to sell tickets online. New Jersey is not one of those states, which explains why it is now one of only two states in the country with three lottery couriers—the other is Texas.
US Managing Director Peggy Daniel said in a TheLotter press release:
“Our launch in New Jersey is a great milestone. Ordering lottery tickets online offers convenience and safety, and we’re proud to offer our services in the state.”
TheLotter says a New York launch is on the horizon
New Jersey marks the fourth state in which TheLotter operates. Its other markets are Minnesota, Oregon and Texas. However, TheLotter’s roster won’t stay that way for long. Davis revealed that the company has plans to launch in New York “very soon.”
If TheLotter follows through on its prediction, then New York will become the third state with Jackpocket.com, Jackpot.com and TheLotter. It will be the first state to have three lottery couriers in addition to online sales by the state lottery.
Additionally, it will be the company’s second-biggest market. The New York lottery generated $8.3 billion in sales during the 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to data from the New York State Gaming Commission.
Texas is TheLotter’s biggest market. The Lone Star State generated $8.7 billion in sales in fiscal year 2023, according to the Texas Lottery Commission.
