You Can Now Play the Minnesota State Lottery on This Phone App: Powerball, Gopher 5, More

Written by:
C Costigan
Published on:
Jul/17/2018

Minneapolis, MN - Individuals in Minnesota can now order state lottery tickets and play games on their phone after Jackpocket announced that it has launched its app throughout the state. Today’s news marks a new way to play the lottery in Minnesota, while the company also announced it plans to expand to other states in the coming months. As a Lottery Service Business, Jackpocket is fully compliant with Minnesota law.

Score_a_Touchdown_with_NB_02.gif


“Growing up, my dad was an avid lottery player and that’s what inspired me to create Jackpocket. I wanted to make playing the lottery easier and more secure,” said Peter Sullivan, Jackpocket Co-founder and CEO. “Jackpocket is unique to the industry. It has advanced systems in place to provide user protection and ensure players never lose a ticket. It also gives our consumers a fun and accessible digital experience. We’re very excited to launch in Minnesota, and look forward to reaching players throughout the state.”

HOW IT WORKS

Founded in 2013 in New York City, Jackpocket operates as a Lottery Services Business, offering a secure way to place orders from a smartphone for official state lottery games such as Powerball, Lotto America, Mega Million and Gopher 5. Players can choose to pick their own numbers such as birthdays or anniversaries, or choose to have numbers selected randomly. They can then view their actual tickets, check results and find the nearest lottery retailer all using the app. There is also an autoplay feature so users will never miss out on a big jackpot. Jackpocket is planning on releasing a pools feature this summer allowing players to team up and win together. Users can also receive bonus credits for referring their friends.

Customers order tickets through their Jackpocket account. Jackpocket charges a nominal fee to add funds to the account, but the tickets themselves cost the same as they do from a retail store.  Minnesotans may currently fund their account using their bank account, though debit cards will also be accepted over the course of the next few months. After an order is placed through the app, Jackpocket physically purchases the ticket on behalf of the player from an official state lottery retailer and then scans the actual ticket into the system. The user receives a digital receipt via email with their name and the ticket serial number, locking them in as the only owner of that ticket (tickets are non-transferable). The user can view the scanned image of their actual ticket on their phone, with the original being stored securely. The Jackpocket system automatically notifies users of their winnings - which is important given that there are over $2 billion in annual unclaimed lottery winnings.

If a user’s winnings are less than $600, Jackpocket will automatically deposit the money into the person’s account. Winnings of $600 or more will result in Jackpocket making arrangements to deliver the physical ticket to the user in a highly secure way at which point the customer can redeem their winnings in-person at a state lottery office.

Jackpocket is currently available in the App Store for iOS users. Android users can play by visiting Jackpocket.com on their mobile device. Jackpocket validates users’ age and identity prior to making a play. A GPS check is also performed whenever a user places an order from the app to ensure they are within state boundaries.

A LOTTERY SERVICE BUSINESS

Recognized as a Lottery Service Business by the Minnesota Lottery, Jackpocket is a commercial enterprise that purchases lottery tickets on behalf of customers. Jackpocket is not the lottery itself, nor does it function in any way as an official partner to the lottery. As a Lottery Service Business, the company does not violate any of Minnesota’s gaming-related prohibitions. In 2014, state lawmakers passed a bill which banned online state lottery gaming. However, a statute passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2005 permits Lottery Service Businesses to operate, making Jackpocket compliant with state law.

Jackpocket is an ardent supporter of state-level gaming regulations, and is committed to working with officials to make gaming more responsible, transparent, and secure. As a Lottery Service Business in Minnesota, the company has discussed the development of new regulations that are good for both consumers and the community, by helping to deliver new, incremental revenue to the lottery’s beneficiaries. Jackpocket has been working with multiple states to craft new regulations - including New York and New Jersey - and supports all efforts to modernize the lottery.

WHO PLAYS AND BENEFITS FROM JACKPOCKET

Data from a pilot program in New York and beta testing in Minnesota over the past several months has found that the average Jackpocket user is 36 years old, married, college educated, with a salary of $65,000 per year, with “manager” in their job title. 50% of Jackpocket users earn at least $75,000 per year, and 75% of users have at least an undergraduate degree.

To encourage responsibility and protect consumers from abusive play, Jackpocket imposes a daily spending limit of $100. The app also allows users to prevent themselves from playing for any duration of their choosing, and provides direct contact information for the National Council on Problem Gaming.

Jackpocket attracts higher-income individuals who would otherwise not play the lottery helping drive new state revenue. The company is particularly passionate about supporting programs such as education, pension funds, veteran services and elderly care - programs which benefit from the expanded access to, and increased use of, state lotteries created by Jackpocket.

 

Gambling News

888 to Become Evoke

Company looking to make changes as stock price gets hammered over the past year.

Syndicate