Lee Park, Director of Communications says, “The New York State Lottery has absolutely no affiliation or relationship with this entity”.
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Jackpocket is basically a lotto middleman – you enter your Powerball numbers or order quick picks from the app, and Jackpocket will go out and buy them.
Tickets are then scanned and can be viewed by the purchaser.
You’ll have to pay for the tickets though the app, but transactions are sent using SSL encryption, which should keep any payment data sent safe. 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.
Jackpocket is now only available in the state of New York, but is set to expand. “We have real concerns about a few of the ideas floating out there about people selling lottery tickets over the Internet, which certainly isn’t a good idea for the retailer”.
CBS News reached out to Powerball, Megamillions, and the New York Lottery, but they all had no comment on the app.
Lottery ticket sales provide an important source of revenue for states, but have struggled to attract a new generation of players. The service reportedly sold $15,000 in tickets on its first day. You can then choose to replay your winnings or transfer them to your bank account. Jackpocket launched just in time for Wednesday night’s $301 million Powerball drawing.
The chances of winning the jackpot will increase from 1 in 175,223,510 to 1 in 292,201,338.
Or, you can automate the entire process and not interact with the app at all. Players verify their phones to log in, and all users must pass an age verification check that confirms they are over age 18 through local and state records.
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Stephen Ryan, executive director
of the New England Convenience Store Association, said he had never heard of the app but would be interested to see how it works. The app is also available on mobile web.
