But proposed legislation sticks to regulating companies that would offer the games, and leaves unanswered whether it's currently legal for players to participate. Lawmakers have most recently been trying to figure out what to do with online poker companies that want to set up shop in New York.
Lee Park, a spokesman for the state Gaming Commission, said the state is aware of Jackpocket and is reviewing the app, which he noted is in no way affiliated with the New York Lottery. "I think it's just gambling diversifying with new technologies and new ways to buy things," said David Schwartz, the director of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research. Illinois is currently the only state with its own online portal for lottery ticket sales. Jackpocket would appear to be the first app of its kind. Jackpocket makes money in a deal with lottery retailers to share the retailers' 6 percent commission on ticket sales. For bigger prizes, Jackpocket will send the ticket to the buyer.įor now, there is no surcharge for New York players - meaning a $1 ticket costs $1 through the app, Sullivan said, adding that the company hopes to expand its retailer base. Players who win can choose to either transfer winnings of up to $600 to a bank account or store it for future play. The ticket's actual purchase is made by a Jackpocket employee. Users can then select their game (Powerball, New York Lotto, Mega Millions, etc.) and their chosen numbers, and they receive a scan of the ticket purchased through an established list of state-licensed retailers. The app works like this: Users verify their ages (you must be 18 to play) and input payment data similar to other e-commerce platforms. I think what you need is someone to help assist them." "Particularly governments move slow and they have other things to focus on rather than technology. "Everything has now become the touch-a-button kind of economy," said Jackpocket CEO Peter Sullivan, citing the explosive growth of apps like Uber and smartphone-based commerce in general. Jackpocket's developers say their intentions are simple: Make sure state lotteries can afford to continue contributing to public causes (proceeds from the New York State Lottery go toward education) and to keep state lotteries alive as that segment of the gaming industry fades in some markets. The app also arrives as the state considers what to do with another digital form of gaming: online poker, which has become part of the larger debate surrounding gaming expansion in New York. The minds behind the app, released Monday, see it as a sign of the future of lottery gaming, and a way for states to tap into what's seen by some as an underutilized millennial market that isn't playing Powerball at the same rate as their parents and grandparents. A new smartphone app called Jackpocket lets New Yorkers play lottery games without ever having to set foot in the corner bodega.
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