The evolution of the lottery industry has taken some interesting turns in the last decade.
One thing is clear, more states are moving toward an online option for customers.
These online alternatives have come in a variety of forms.
There are states with online lotteries that offer it either in an official form, through couriers, or with subscription services.
The North Dakota Lottery is one of the few states providing subscriptions to its players.
While other states still require mail-in payments for subscriptions, North Dakota allows for online payments.
Each year, the North Dakota Lottery is seeing its online sales grow, making it a bigger piece of its business.
How North Dakota Lottery offers its online subscriptions
The ND Lottery has labeled its subscriptions as “Pick & Click.”
The service allows customers to pay in advance for upcoming draw games in the state.
All games in North Dakota are eligible. That includes:
- Powerball
- Mega Millions
- Lucky for Life
- Lotto America
- 2by2
In-state customers are able to use to the state lottery website or the North Dakota Lottery Players Club mobile app to play.
Residents pick their game, choose their numbers or a Quick Pick option, then set their number of draws to pay for.
While other subscription states set minimum weeks to enter, North Dakota offers anywhere from a single draw, all the way up to a year.
Payments are also done online, not through the mail, essentially making this an iLottery option in North Dakota.
Winnings that fall below $600 are directly put into a player’s online account. Customers can also use debit cards and credit cards to fund their accounts.
Utilizing Pick & Click generates club points that can be used for prizes and special drawings from the North Dakota Lottery, as well.
Pick & Click lottery sales growing every year
The growth of Pick & Click has been somewhat slow over time, but has been picking up in recent years:
| Fiscal Year | Pick & Click Sales | % of Total Sales |
|---|---|---|
| FY2017 | $888,761 | 3.22% |
| FY2018 | $1,056,586 | 3.38% |
| FY2019 | $1,600,314 | 4.52% |
| FY2020 | $1,624,010 | 6.65% |
| FY2021 | $2,468,646 | 8.13% |
| FY2022 | $2,988,726 | 10.23% |
| FY2023 | $4,079,137 | 10.37% |
| FY2024* | $4,595,573 | 11.47% |
*Unaudited results for FY24
The online option seemed to really take off when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It gave customers a way to play the lottery without having to visit a retailer.
From FY20 to FY21, sales increased nearly $850,000. Then from FY22 to FY23, they grew by over $1 million, their biggest jump yet.
Each year the amount of online purchases has been a bigger piece of the total sales, too.
That hit a peak in FY24, with $4.6 million in sales accounting for 11.5% of the total.
The unaudited overall sales this past fiscal year were $40.1 million. Once finalized, that will be a record-setting sales year for North Dakota.
Photo by Talaj via Shutterstock
Graphic from the North Dakota Lottery
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