The CT Lottery has finally added internet sales to its capabilities, but the new products have come with additional technical difficulties. The Connecticut iLottery soft-launched on June 10 with an iOS app, but lottery representatives had to offer troubleshooting for online lottery players via email, SMS, and telephone. Meanwhile, Android users must wait until July to try their hands at the online lottery.
Offering that technical assistance seems to have overwhelmed the Lottery, judging by “email delay” notices Bonus saw on the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) site on June 14 and 15. Quality control issues had already caused the CLC to delay its iLottery launch by more than a year.
Plus, CT Lottery officials had to warn Nutmeggers about imposter apps in 2023. Simultaneously, tech partner International Gaming Technology (IGT) attempted to solve the official iLottery app’s quality control issues.
Meanwhile, visitors to the CT Lottery site on June 15 can see this exclaimed message above the games they’ll be able to play online:
Play KENO and all your favorite CT Lottery Draw Games from anywhere within Connecticut!
A spokeswoman for the state’s gaming regulator, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), did comment on the launch.
DCP Communications Director Kaitlyn Krasselt told Bonus on June 13:
[The] iLottery soft-launched on Monday of this week.
We do not have a date set for the full launch. However, the law requires the soft launch last at least 1 week.
All lottery games — keno, mega millions, etc. — are included.
Krasselt referred all further questions to CT Lottery officials, who didn’t respond to requests for comment from Bonus.
UPDATE: 09/05/2024
On Sept. 5, Krasselt explained to Bonus why the CT Lottery site announced: “Android App with iLottery functions submitted for approval in June, still awaiting response.”
The site had been telling iLottery players that the app would be available in July. It no longer promises an availability date.
Krasselt told Bonus:
It means the Lottery submitted their app to the Google Play Store.
CT Lottery Soft Launch
On June 15, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., iLottery players could gamble with eight draw games, including Mega Millions and Powerball. The app didn’t include scratch-off games.
Those extended soft launch hours already showed a measure of faith in the iLottery. On June 12 and 13, the CT Lottery restricted app wagers to the time slot of 1:30 to 11 p.m.
However, the email glitch appears to have slowed down the soft launch a bit.
Drew Ellis of PlayiLottery reported about the initial CT iLottery plans on June 13.
During Thursday’s Connecticut Lottery Corporation Board of Directors meeting, it was stated that online play hours would be from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day beginning on Friday.
Technically, Connecticut will still be in its soft launch phase on Friday and likely Saturday. However, the state expects to be given the green light for its official debut by Sunday.
Once fully launched, the iLottery hours will remain from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Bonus and PlayiLottery are Catena Media publications.
‘Email delay’ guidance
First, aspiring online lottery ticket buyers needed to download the app, register, and then log in with a “one-time passcode.”
That’s where the “email delay” and the CT Lottery troubleshooting entered the picture.
According to the CLC site, players experienced email delays before their initial logins and even after being registered players.
The troubleshooting directions urged iLottery bettors to call the “player support line” at (866) 752-9281 to register with a different email address or opt into SMS for passcode notifications.
However, in the same way Connecticut residents don’t like to be called Connecticuters or Nutmeggers, CT Lottery ticket buyers don’t like to be told what to do.
So the email delay directions also say of the email address switch or SMS solution:
This is completely your choice.
Connecticut iLottery Draw Games
Surprisingly, CT Lottery didn’t list Mega Millions and Powerball as the first among the available draw games on the iLottery app.
The CT iLottery games below are listed in the order in which they appear on the CLC site:
- Keno
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Lucky for Life
- Lotto!
- Cash 5 With Kicker!
- Play 3 Wild Ball
- Play 4 Wild Ball
According to the CLC site, Keno drawings occur every four minutes. Besides Mega Millions and Lotto, drawings for the other game jackpots were scheduled for June 15.
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