Powerball, Megamillions, and the New York Lottery had no comment on the new app when reached by CBS News.
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Jackpocket is available for free on iOS and Android devices, although you’ll need to be sent a link to the app for Android because of Google’s Cromwellian stance on gambling apps.
“So I remember growing up being embarrassed because we were late for practice due to the fact that he had to go play his numbers”, Sullivan said.
For the traditional ticket buyers, Jackpocket brings an opportunity to ski the line and the trip to the store. Attorney Judy Albanese says Sullivan’s app does not break any laws. It allows users to purchase Powerball, Megamillions, and other lottery tickets. If it’s more, “we will arrange to have the ticket delivered to you in a secure fashion so that you may claim your prize from the state lottery”, reads a statement on the app’s website.
Sullivan has been working on developing the application for more than two years, and it launched Monday. In 2014, ticket sales for the Powerball in New York dropped by 44 percent according to CNBC. 9to5Mac says employees are sent out to stores to buy paper tickets, which are then scanned and emailed to users so they have a record of their numbers. It enables gamblers to buy a ticket with a swipe and a tap on a smartphone. Jackpocket already has about 10,000 registered users. The more unsafe part is playing too much, but there are safeguards against that, too – there’s a daily limit on how many tickets you can buy and one-touch deactivation possible if the lottery gets addictive.
Jackpocket founder Pete Sullivan told the New York Post that the app is aimed at people their 20s and 30s.
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Although there are plans to expand to other states like California and New Jersey, the app is now only available for New York games.
