You can now buy lottery tickets on your phone in Ohio, but Ohio Lottery doesn’t back it

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -This week, Jackpot.com announced you can now buy lottery tickets like Powerball and Mega Millions through its app or online, but the Ohio Lottery is not supporting the new practice.

Jackpot.com is what’s known as a courier service meaning they will buy your Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, and Rolling Cash 5 tickets for you, keep a digital record, and send you proof of your purchase.

“At Jackpot, we are simplifying the player experience and increasing accessibility by making it more convenient and secure for players to buy lottery tickets,” according to CEO and co-founder Akshay K. Khanna. “We’re also offering safety guardrails that set a new standard for responsible gaming, all while ensuring players never miss a draw or misplace a ticket again.”

Ohio marks the second state Jackpot.com has launched in, but in Texas there is already legislation to ban the practice since it stated in January.

Here is the Ohio Lottery’s statement when asked about the launch of the new site/app;

“There’s nothing in the revised code that prevents courier companies from operating in Ohio, however the Ohio lottery does not support, endorse, condone, encourage, recommend, or approve of the use of couriers or their applications, which are not affiliated with or licensed by the Ohio Lottery. Because the applications are not authorized or licensed, the Ohio Lottery cannot guarantee the validity of purchases made via these applications or that appropriate payment will be made to players for tickets redeemed through these applications. Accordingly, the Ohio Lottery will not be liable for the actions or omissions of these private courier companies, nor will it be liable for their nonpayment or underpayment of any lottery prize.”

In a press release Jackpot.com highlights investors with ties to Cleveland’s professional sports teams.

“The company’s investors include the Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Cleveland Browns and the Columbus Crew, and Detroit Venture Partners, the venture arm of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s family office,” according to the news release. “Jackpot.com is also launching with a marketing partnership with one of the country’s premier professional sports franchises, the Cleveland Guardians.”

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