LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Lottery player in Arkansas can now play lottery games using their mobile devices.
This was made possible through Jackpocket, a New York-based app.
Like any other state, Arkansas has rules to keep legal gambling in line. That means for the most part, lottery players would have to go into a retail store to purchase a lottery ticket.
But Jackpocket found a way to circumvent that rule in Arkansas gambling. The way this is done is that Jackpocket became a seller of lottery tickets in Arkansas.
Once they became a lottery seller in Arkansas, they worked with the state directly to make sure that they can legally sell lottery tickets through a mobile app. The state-approved and now mobile lottery tickets are available for the state.
"We manage and oversee the actual lottery retailers, not the app that they're selling through, so yeah, this is fully within the rules," said Scott Hardin, the spokesperson for the Lottery.
Keeping money flowing into the lottery if very important for the state of Arkansas. Funds generated through the lottery goes back into funding education in the state. It is known as the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.
Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, not many people were going to retail stores to buy lottery tickets. Arkansas actually saw a large number of lottery tickets unsold throughout the pandemic.
However, this one app could change that. Now lottery players no longer have to go into a retail store to buy a lottery ticket. This means that playing the USA online lottery is now safe to do in Arkansas.
Having a safe lottery is good for lottery players and the State of Arkansas. Lottery players will be able to potentially win big and the state will collect revenue that will go into its education system.