Lottery courier app Jackpot.com is now live in New Jersey, its third launch of 2024 and sixth in total. The New Jersey Lottery reported $3.7 billion in sales in 2023, which presents an important opportunity for Jackpot.com. However, it will have to contend with tough competition, especially from its rival Jackpocket, which holds a unique advantage in the Garden State thanks to its new online casino.
Jackpot.com has advantages of its own. Its financial backers include some figures with clout in New Jersey and the surrounding area, such as the Tisch family—co-owners of the New York Giants and Gotham FC—and NHL Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, formerly of the New Jersey Devils. These connections could help the courier app navigate the market and appeal to local lottery players. Also, Jackpocket.com is available in neighboring New York, meaning some lottery players who often cross borders could be familiar with the app.
CEO and co-founder Akshay K. Khanna discussed the importance of working with sports teams during a panel at iGaming NEXT in New York this March. He told the audience that having those partnerships “brings legitimacy” to novel products in the eyes of the public.
The Jackpot.com app is available for Android and iOS mobile devices, while desktop users can access the site through their browsers. Using the app or site, New Jerseyans can now purchase tickets for five draw games:
- Mega Millions
- Powerball
- Pick-3
- Pick-4
- Cash 4 Life
The New Jersey launch comes less than two months after Jackpot.com went live in Arkansas. The app made its US debut in Texas in January 2023 and is also available in Massachusetts and Ohio.
- Read More: Jackpot.com lottery app review
Courier Apps Add Convenience For Lottery Players
According to Khanna, the app will bring New Jersey lottery players convenience, security, and safety when purchasing tickets.
Those comments, which accompanied the launch announcement, echoed what he’d said on the panel in New York:
The core belief [of Jackpot.com] is that people want to shop a certain way. They want it to be cashless. They want to do it without leaving their home.
Lottery courier apps act as a middleman. They take online orders from users and purchase physical tickets on their behalf.
Under New Jersey law, prizes under $600 can be collected at a retailer by anyone holding the ticket. When users win these smaller prizes, Jackpot.com redeems the ticket on their behalf and deposits the money in their account through the app. Prizes over that amount have a more complex and secure process. For these larger sums, the courier arranges safe delivery of the physical ticket to the player, who must then complete a claim form.
Lottery courier apps have become popular in recent years, particularly in states that don’t allow direct online lottery sales. New Jersey falls into that category for now. That might change as the New Jersey Lottery Commission approved the online sale of lottery tickets last year. However, the launch has been delayed and might not happen until 2025. In the meantime, lottery couriers provide the next closest thing.
DraftKings Adds a Wrinkle to Jackpot-Jackpocket Rivalry
Jackpot.com has a longstanding rivalry with Jackpocket, in part because of the similarity of their brands. That sparked a trademark lawsuit by Jackpocket, though Jackpot prevailed.
New Jersey represents a novel challenge for Jackpot.com compared to how that rivalry has played out elsewhere. For one thing, Jackpocket has more of a head start there than it has anywhere else. New Jersey was the first state to formally approve Jackpocket in 2019, followed later by Lotto.com and TheLotter.com.
In February, Jackpocket became the first US lottery courier to branch out into regulated iGaming with the New Jersey launch of Jackpocket Casino. It has quickly captured about 1% of the market, which constitutes a promising start for a new brand in such a crowded space. Then, in May, its owners finalized the company’s sale to DraftKings.
Integrating casino games into their apps has proven critical for sportsbooks and may likewise prove an essential selling point for Jackpocket. Meanwhile, having the backing of DraftKings potentially means more resources at Jackpocket’s disposal.
New Jersey won’t be the final battlefield for those two companies. Jackpocket’s empire has expanded to 17 states, plus Washington, DC. Only operating in six states so far, Jackpot.com still has many more markets in which it can try to challenge the market leader.
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