Proposed Bill Would Halt Plans For New Jersey iLottery Launch In 2024

Image showing online lottery gaming will lotto balls on a device along with the NJ state outline for a story about the New Jersey Assembly introducing a bill that would stop the upcoming launch of NJ iLottery sales.

New Jersey may be backtracking on its plans to have online lottery sales in 2024.

After the NJ Lottery Commission set the wheels in motion for iLottery to hit the state this upcoming fall, a proposed bill would put a stop to it.

Bill A3759 was introduced late last month in the New Jersey Assembly. If enacted, it would prohibit online lottery sales by the State Lottery Commission.

Latest bill would stop New Jersey online lottery debut this fall

In September 2022, a rule was proposed by the NJ Lottery Commission that would allow it to sell tickets to residents through the internet and mobile lottery apps. The rule change would only apply to draw games, such as Powerball, Mega Millions, and Jersey Cash 5. Residents would still only be able to purchase scratch-off games via retail vendors.

The proposal was adopted and iLottery sales in New Jersey were slated to begin in the fall of 2024.

However, Bill A3759 aims to stop that. It focuses on preventing the NJ Lottery from having the power to administer online sales.

The bill reads:

“Not withstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, no lottery or type of lottery or lottery game shall be permitted to be sold via the internet by the State Lottery Commission, any entity of the State Lottery Commission, or any entity contracted by the State Lottery Commission.

“The State Lottery Commission shall not name itself, any entity of the State Lottery Commission, or any entity contracted by the State Lottery Commission as a lottery sales agent pursuant to the ‘State Lottery Law.’”

The bill was introduced in the NJ Assembly on Feb. 22 and has been referred to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee. It does not yet have a hearing date set.

Another bill says iLottery is against ‘legislative intent’

There is another bill, ACR127, that was introduced and referred to the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee on March 18. This bill simply declares the new rules that would allow NJ to offer online lottery tickets are “inconsistent with legislative intent.”

If this bill — or, rather, it’s a resolution — passes, the Division of State Lottery would have 30 days to either withdraw or amend the new rules allowing for an online lottery. Otherwise, the resolution says the state Legislature could pass another resolution to “invalidate the rule in whole or in part.”

Like A3759, ACR127 does not yet have a committee hearing scheduled.

iLottery sales conducted in NJ through Jackpocket

New Jersey already has online lottery sales through third-party options like Jackpocket and Lotto.com.

However, this current rule change will allow online sales directly through the NJ Lottery and its online application.

This new legislation does include language to allow the third-party options to continue to operate in New Jersey. It states:

“Nothing in this act shall prohibit the sale of lottery tickets via the internet by a duly licensed courier service.”

The initial plans for online lottery in NJ saw pushback from trade associations that represented retail lottery sellers.

However, the NJ Lottery clearly believes that online lottery caters to a new audience of players, primarily those under 40, and that retailers wouldn’t lose business with the move as their players aren’t seeking an online option.

 

Photo by PlayiLottery

About the Author

Drew Ellis

Drew Ellis

Lead Writer
A member of Catena Media since 2020, Drew Ellis is the Lead Writer at PlayiLottery, where he handles coverage of the online lottery industry in the US. He previously spearheaded news content at PlayMichigan, where he covered one of the most prominent online lottery industries in the US — among the many other aspects of Michigan's sprawling iGaming market. You can email him at [email protected].
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