Lottery couriers continue to get positive news in the US.
Google announced an update to its advertising policies this week. Beginning July 15, the company will allow ads for lottery couriers.
This makes for another big step for the courier industry. These operators that provide online sales of retail lottery draw games are becoming more mainstream and accepted across the country.
Google’s new policy on lottery courier services
The new Google policy isn’t quite cut and dry for the couriers. While they will be accepted for ads on the search engine, they also need to go through a certification process.
Here’s what the policy states:
“On July 15, 2024, the Google Ads Gambling and games policy United States country-specifics will be updated. We will begin to accept and run ads for lottery-couriers in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
“If advertisers are targeting their ads in a state that does not require a license, the advertisers must be licensed in at least one other state that does require a license to operate Lottery Courier services.”
The advertisers will have to go through layers of certification. That includes proof that they are licensed to operate in multiple states, while also being able to verify authenticity that they are a trustworthy product.
The couriers would certainly benefit from meeting the requirements to have their products advertised. According to the company, Google had 85.1 billion visitors worldwide in June.
New partnerships could expedite US courier growth
This latest development is coming off the heels of some other positive news for couriers.
Last month, Jackpot.com was named the official lottery courier of the Associated Press. Jackpot.com will provide nationwide lottery results for the AP.
Customers of the Associated Press will also have the offer to purchase lottery tickets with Jackpot.com through the AP in states where the courier is licensed to provide services.
Days later, Jackpot.com reached a partnership with Global Gaming Data for a lottery data widget that would also offer sales through its product.
The country’s biggest courier operator, Jackpocket, recently finalized its acquisition by DraftKings, which could revolutionize the way lottery is incorporated with sports betting and online casinos.
Along with these developments, other couriers like Lotto.com and TheLotter have been accepted to operate by more states.
Not all are pleased with the expansion of couriers in the US.
The California Lottery has come out strongly against the industry. It has said on multiple occasions that it won’t pay out winners who purchased tickets from a courier, and it will also cut ties with retailers that partner with a third-party provider.
Last year, couriers accounted for just 0.83% of US lottery sales, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming. That number is expected to grow to 2.6% by 2028.
With companies like the Associated Press and Google more on board, sales could be growing by the day.
Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP
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