News writer
While some states are moving to ban lottery courier services, Illinois could take a more moderate approach.
The state Senate introduced a bill that would allow couriers into the state, but with conditions.
Couriers welcome
Senate Bill 2035, which was proposed in February and is currently under review, explicitly permits lottery couriers in the state. The bill states:
“[The bill] allows a licensed lottery sales agent to enter into an agreement with a third-party entity to assist with processing the sale of lottery tickets on behalf of the licensed lottery sales agent.”
Couriers allow players to buy lottery tickets online through a privately owned platform, such as Jackpocket and Lotto.com. The courier, the “third party entity,” buys a physical ticket on behalf of the player and scans it into their system. Users never have to go to a store, and the retailers, couriers, and state entities benefit from sales.
Illinois lottery revenue benefits state public schools and other good causes.
The stipulations
The bill includes the following stipulations.
Ticket agents must provide a copy of their courier agreement to the Lottery Control Board for review within five days of execution. Couriers can’t sell user data, and they must comply with sales laws outlined by the Control Board. Users can only purchase tickets if they’re located within the state.
The bill also states, “terminal usage can’t be commingled at the location,” meaning retail sales operate independently from couriers on the ground. This stipulation is likely inspired by events in Texas.
Record sales
Illinois boasted record sales in 2024, with online sales alone reaching $686 million, according to Yogonet.
Currently, users can buy tickets for Illinois games online through a state-run site.
Lottery couriers are sparse in the state. Jackpot.com is available in Illinois for Powerball and Mega Millions players only. In other states, these services offer access to state and instant games. The bill could expand online offerings, possibly boosting revenues and competition.
Eyes on Texas
The Texas Lottery Commission has been embroiled in a legislative battle that’s likely inspiring other states to review their policies on courier services - if they ever had them.
In February, an $83.5 million Lotto Texas winner purchased her ticket through Jackpocket. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick raised suspicion of the win, saying the store and lottery terminals were operated by Jackpocket.
In 2023, an entity called Rook TX won $95 million after buying 27 million tickets in every possible combination, ensuring the win. Those tickets were purchased by a single payer through the courier service Lotto.com. Children may have been operating the lottery terminals as part of the scheme.
These issues have created a flurry of legislation, possibly inciting the ban of the entire Texas lottery altogether.
Other states are watching. Indiana is seeing a potential storm and has explicitly banned courier services recently. Indiana is also moving to ban bulk ticket purchases.
However, very few states, including New York, New Jersey, and now, Illinois, are potentially meeting courier services in the middle with explicit regulations.
Regulations over couriers barely existed in Texas. In fact, for years, the Texas Lotto Committee claimed it lacked legal authority to regulate them, according to the Texas Tribune. This was proven untrue in February when the commission moved to ban them.
Texas is a cautionary tale for every state hoping to keep its lottery thriving and honest.
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