One of several digital lottery couriers in the U.S. market, TheLotter, is abandoning New Jersey for pastures new.
The Maltese company’s American headquarters are in the Garden State, but it announced on Monday that it will suspend its operations there starting this week with a view to expanding in other states as part of its long-term growth strategy.
TheLotter currently operates digital lottery courier services in five states, also including Arizona, Minnesota, New York and Oregon. It competes with the likes of Jackpot.com, DraftKings-owned Jackpocket and Lotto.com.
TheLotter focused elsewhere
TheLotter joined a crowded New Jersey lottery courier market less than 18 months ago, in June 2024, offering residents the ability to play popular games like Powerball, Mega Millions and Pick-6 by ordering tickets directly through theLotter’s app or website.
Now, it will stop accepting orders as of Nov. 19. Any existing orders, multi-draw packages or draws from a subscription scheduled after that date will be canceled and fully refunded. Players have been notified and can withdraw funds until Feb. 17, 2026.
TheLotter US General Manager Barry Golombek said TheLotter is leaving New Jersey to allow it to focus on launching elsewhere in the country, as well as to further strengthen its presence in its other existing markets. TheLotter most recently expanded to Arizona in March and launched a revamped website in most of its states in recent months.
“This decision was not easy, but we believe it will enable us to reach more players across the country,” said Golombek. “By redirecting our efforts and resources, more customers will be able to order tickets for their favorite lotteries quickly and conveniently. We’re truly excited for the future. Alongside our broader expansion plans, we’ve been rolling out our brand-new website, and early feedback from players has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Texas headwinds change TheLotter’s course
While TheLotter will be available in just four states once its New Jersey shutdown is complete, it has designs on adding others. It said in 2024 that it expected to launch in Florida soon, although it has not yet begun business in the Sunshine State.
TheLotter, like other couriers, was active in Texas until that door closed this year when the state banned the services. Golombek noted that was a major moment.
“The lottery courier industry faced significant headwinds this year,” Golombek told SBC Americas. “Chief amongst those was the decision in Texas to ban services like TheLotter. Texas accounted for a substantial portion of our revenue, and that loss prompted us to reevaluate our approach to the U.S. market.
“After careful consideration, the decision was made to cease operations in New Jersey. Doing so enacts significant operational savings, which can be redeployed to our expansion efforts elsewhere. We hope to resume operations in New Jersey in the future.”
Stiff courier competition
Some of TheLotter’s competitors have a wider reach beyond New Jersey than TheLotter does.
With the might of DraftKings behind it, Jackpocket operates in 16 states, Lotto.com is in 11 and Jackpot.com works in seven. Jackpot.com also benefits from being the official lottery courier service of 7-Eleven in multiple states.
New Jersey is one of a few states that welcomes lottery couriers under regulatory oversight, and Arizona’s lottery passed a motion in April to regulate them. The vertical is a grey area in other jurisdictions and some states, as Connecticut this year, have toyed with the idea of banning them.
The World Lottery Association (WLA) published a policy paper in July recommending that couriers be brought under regulatory oversight and also advocating for other measures, such as a ban on selling tickets in bulk.
