Connecticut Online Lottery Now Fully Live for Desktop and iOS Users

CT iLottery full launched on July 1
Photo by Millenius/Shutterstock

Connecticuters saw their iLottery launch on July 1, enabling them to buy draw game tickets over the Internet, seven days a week. It’s almost, but not quite around-the-clock service: the CT Lottery suspends the ability to buy tickets from 2 to 5 a.m. to encourage responsible play.

Lottery players can access the CT iLottery through their desktop browser or an iOS mobile app.

Android users will see their version of the CT iLottery app debut next month. In the meantime, they can access the web version using their phone’s browser.

Unlike some other states, Connecticut won’t offer online instant tickets. These are prohibited under state law because they would compete with Connecticut online casinos, which were legalized at the same time.

On July 2, Bonus visited the CT Lottery site and saw the first tab in bright orange bore the following words in all capital letters:

Buy Now! iLottery

Clicking on the iLottery tab brought up this list of available games:

  • Keno
  • Powerball
  • Mega Millions
  • Lucky for Life
  • Lotto
  • Cash5
  • Play3
  • Play4

Also, on July 2, Bonus noticed the CT Lottery site still said the Android app would launch in July. That’s been listed on the CT Lottery site since the iLottery’s soft launch on June 10. The soft launch featured restricted hours so the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) could work out the new platform’s bugs before the full launch.

Even so, Bonus saw on the lottery site on June 18 that Nutmeggers had created “thousands” of accounts and “over 10,000 wagers have been placed during the first week.”

Outgoing CLC President and CEO Greg Smith said in the July 1 announcement:

iLottery gives Connecticut residents a convenient and secure way to play lottery games, whether choosing the every-four-minutes speed of KENO, the huge, life changing jackpots available through Powerball and Mega Millions, or the twice-a-day Play3 and Play4. In addition to our 2,800 retailer locations, iLottery allows you to pretty much play anytime and anywhere you are. Lottery scratch tickets are only available in retail. So, be sure to shop retail, too.

Frank Suarez begins leading the CT Lottery on Aug. 1. The former head of the DC Lottery oversaw that regulator’s switch from the troubled GambetDC Sportsbook to the more well-received FanDuel Sportsbook.

No CT iLottery Scratch-Off Games

“Scratch Games” accounted for 52% of CT Lottery’s $1.7 billion in sales during Fiscal Year 2023. Those are physical tickets lottery players buy at retail stores. Lottery ticket buyers then remove “the scratch-off coating on the ticket face” to reveal their prizes — or not.

Perhaps that’s why the CT Lottery post on X on July 1 wasn’t about the iLottery. It was about the debut of scratch games Multiplier Madness and $30,000 Ca$hword.

Also, the CT iLottery doesn’t offer digital scratch-off games. However, as the 11th state with an iLottery, Connecticut’s not alone. Most iLotteries don’t offer scratch-off lottery tickets. The service isn’t even standard among online lottery ticket couriers.

Connecticut may be missing out on a lot of potential revenue by failing to legalize instant iLottery. North Carolinians were so enamored with digital scratch tickets that they spent more than $1 billion on them in the seven months after eInstants launched in November 2023.

CT iLottery Delays

The Android app delay, possibly into August, isn’t a huge surprise.

The iLottery launch has been plagued by postponements. For instance, email delays were prominent in the soft launch and are still notable enough that the CT Lottery site tells iLottery players about them. Bonus saw the notices on July 2.

Still, the July 1 iLottery launch was an achievement that was three years in the making.

Gov. Ned Lamont signed HB6451 into law, authorizing the “online sale of lottery tickets,” online casinos, and sports betting. His actions on May 27, 2021, led to the Oct. 19, 2021, launches of Connecticut online casinos and sports betting.

Meanwhile, the iLottery launch stalled. When the regulator finally picked tech partner International Gaming Technology (IGT) in 2023, the CT Lottery said it had unexpected quality control issues with the vendor a few months later.

Perhaps some of that is due to the complicated nature of the CT iLottery.

In the July 1 announcement, the CT Lottery bragged a bit about the desktop and iOS app:

The app comes with exciting new features that allow players to personalize their lottery experience, such as saving favorite numbers and wagers, grouping preferred games for easy purchasing, and setting limits for wagering and time spent on the app. Along with these features, the CT Lottery mobile app will still include the ability to view winning numbers, scan lottery tickets purchased at retail to check if they have won, and much more.

About the Author

Heather Fletcher

Heather Fletcher

Heather Fletcher is Lead Writer at Bonus, concentrating on online casino coverage. She specializes in breaking news, legislative coverage, and gambling marketing strategy overviews. To reach Heather with a news tip, email [email protected].
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