Massachusetts lottery players can now buy lottery tickets from their phones for drawings like the $1.35 billion Mega Millions on Friday, Aug. 4, using an app called Jackpocket.
Though online lottery is still illegal in Massachusetts, the Jackpocket app is offering a lottery courier service to Bay Staters, similar to the likes of ordering food through “Uber Eats” or “DoorDash,” to order tickets for games like Mega Millions and Powerball, according to spokesperson Andrew Fries. The app has been available since late July.
Massachusetts State Lottery games like MassCash, Megabucks Doubler, Lucky for Life and The Numbers Game are also available to play through Jackpocket.
The Lottery said of the app, “The Mass Lottery is not directly affiliated with apps that provide this service and does not license or regulate any such providers to operate in Massachusetts.”
“Courier services like this facilitate the purchase of tickets at a licensed retail location on behalf of a consumer. The retailer is the seller of the ticket,” its statement read.
How does Jackpocket work?
Jackpocket has partnered with convenience store chain Circle K in 16 other states, including New Hampshire, its website said, and the company goes through a single Circle K store in each state to purchase lottery tickets for players.
“Jackpocket is a lottery courier service that allows age-verified people physically located within Massachusetts to place an order for official state lottery tickets,” Fries said.
“That order is then fulfilled on their behalf at a licensed MA Lottery retailer. Jackpocket does not sell lottery tickets online, instead, it acts as a service provider, comparable to UberEats or DoorDash,” the spokesperson added.
To place a lottery ticket order through the app, the player must first download the app from the App Store and sign up with a free account using their phone number and email address.
After verifying their age by scanning their driver’s license with their phone, players can deposit money into their Jackpocket account, which can be used to buy lottery drawing tickets. The ordering experience is similar to in a store, with options for different ways to play drawing games through multipliers, Quic Pic tickets and choosing numbers individually still available.
Once a ticket is ordered, a representative from Jackpocket purchases the player’s ticket, and it is scanned into the app for the player to view.
What if you win?
If a player wins a prize valued at $600 or less, the money can be instantly transferred into a bank account of the player’s choosing; if the prize is more than $600, Jackpocket will transfer the winning ticket to them so they can claim their prize directly from the Massachusetts State Lottery.
Additionally, with the app’s new release, new Massachusetts Jackpocket downloaders can receive a $2 lottery ticket for free by entering the code “HEYMASS” at checkout, Jackpocket stated.
