NJ Bill Would Ban Online Lottery Sales For The New Jersey Lottery Commission
A bill to prohibit the sale of NJ lottery games online by the state lottery submitted by Sen. Joseph P. Cryan may go to the governor’s desk.
A bill banning the sale of New Jersey lottery games online has advanced from committee and looks like it might get a floor vote. That may be disappointing to lottery players, but there are others who would welcome the ban.
It’s a move that will be taken well by retailers who want to ensure continued foot traffic to their stores, and by lottery courier services operating in the state.
When you want to buy a lottery game in New Jersey, there are two options. First, you can drive to the gas station and buy physical tickets as long as the business is a licensed New Jersey Lottery retailer.
Second, you can use an online lottery courier service, such as Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, or Lotto.com to buy tickets on your behalf. This is ideal if, let’s say, you’re in the middle of watching the Giants play, and you don’t want to leave the house.
But, what you can’t do, is go to an official New Jersey lottery website or app and purchase tickets online. Retailers and lawmakers have made sure online lottery sales haven’t become legal.
As such, a bill submitted by Sen. Joseph P. Cryan (D) may go to the governor’s desk. The bill, New Jersey’s SB4150, would prohibit the sale of lottery games “via the internet” by the state lottery or any contractor the lottery hires.
Imagine owning a convenience store in Trenton. You get a ton of foot traffic from people coming in to buy lottery tickets.
Some folks are there for nationwide draw games like MegaMillions, while others buy scratchers specific to New Jersey. That foot traffic means you’re selling more gas, snacks, and drinks, keeping your business afloat through the good times and the bad.
Online lottery sales are a threat to your business’s survival. If your lottery customers decide to buy tickets from their phones, there’s a chance they’ll stop coming to your store and purchase games.
If lottery foot traffic dwindles, so does your profit. Your bottom line becomes an issue. If you lose enough traffic, your store may have to close its doors.
Here’s how New Jersey Food Council Vice President Mary Ellen Peppard put it when she spoke with NJ Spotlight News this week:
It’s not just the loss of the sale of the Lottery (ticket), it is all the ancillary sales for somebody that used to go to that store for that ticket. They’re buying their groceries, or a cup of coffee, or fuel, so that is a significant loss.
New Jersey Food Council VP Mary Ellen Peppard via NJ Spotlight News
For those who’ve wanted an online lottery option in New Jersey and aren’t satisfied with couriers, the New Jersey Lottery feels your pain. The NJ Lottery has been proposing online sales since 2022. Earlier this year, it firmed up plans to begin in 2025, provoking the current attempt to block it.
The legislative lockdown is surely frustrating for the New Jersey Lottery Commission. It took two years to move from proposing an iLottery to passing the regulations necessary for launch.
Additionally, an online lottery entity is key for the Lottery, which wants to ensure its platforms appeal to newer generations. Gen Zers are mobile-dependent, and an online lottery app would be critical to the NJ Lottery’s sales plans.
https://www.playusa.com/nj-bill-would-ban-online-lottery-sales-for-the-new-jersey-lottery-commission/
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NJ Bill Would Ban Online Lottery Sales For The New Jersey Lottery Commission
SENATE, No. 2159
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits internet sale of lottery tickets by State Lottery Commission.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act prohibiting the State Lottery Commission from selling lottery tickets via the internet and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
STATEMENT
On September 19, 2022, a rule proposal was published by the State Lottery Commission to allow the Division of State Lottery to directly sell tickets to consumers in New Jersey through its Internet website and mobile applications. This proposal has been adopted and internet sales by the State Lottery Commission are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024.
This bill prohibits the State Lottery Commission, any entity of the State Lottery Commission, or any entity contracted by the State Lottery Commission from directly selling lottery tickets via the Internet. This bill does not affect the rights of registered courier services from selling lottery tickets via the internet.
https://legiscan.com/NJ/text/S2159/id/2873824