The New Jersey Lottery Commission announced at its August 17 meeting that it has agreed on a plan to sell tickets online of its popular draw games, including Mega Millions, Powerball and Jersey Cash 5. Scratch-off instant tickets will still only be sold by lottery retailers.
Beginning around the fall of 2024, the lottery said, it will sell tickets online directly to players via its website or mobile app. Lottery officials say the change is necessary to capture the younger demographic of “digital native” players.
Lottery retailers are not pleased with the development.
The New Jersey Gasoline C-Store Automotive Association (NJGCA), which presides over many of the state’s gas stations and convenience stores, expressed concerns over a potential reduction in foot traffic that online ticket sales might cause.
“I just can’t imagine that this won’t take business that would have otherwise been in neighborhood stores, whether that’s irregular players jumping in on a jackpot now doing it on their phone, or regular players making a portion of their purchases online,” NJGCA Chief Administrator and Director of Government Affairs Eric Blomgren said, according to Yogonet.
“Ultimately, the state selling lottery tickets directly to the consumer through the internet puts physical retail stores in competition with the very government entity that is their supplier, distributor, and chief advertiser.”
“It was something that I had here, hoping that when people came in to get their lottery tickets, they might buy a little something while they were here,” Lawrence Valenzano, the owner of Mighty Joe’s Deli and Grill in Shamong, told CBS News. “But I’m afraid this is going to chase a lot of it away.”
