U.S. shoppers will soon be able to purchase jackpot games such as Powerball and Mega Millions at grocery retail checkout and have the numbers sent to their mobile device, making playing the lottery more convenient and fun. This unique innovation is the result of an exclusive partnership between lottery technology provider Linq3 and Blackhawk Network, a global financial technology company and a leader in connecting brands and people through branded value solutions. The program is subject to individual state lottery approval and is expected be available in select states at participating grocery retailers starting in late 2017.
“With the live ticket technology, shoppers will be able to easily purchase lottery tickets in the grocery locations they regularly frequent and have lottery numbers sent to their mobile phone, providing them with a streamlined experience,” said David Tate, Blackhawk Network senior vice president, U.S. Business. “Additionally, it simplifies the lottery purchasing path, which is expected to make this a more popular choice among retailers’ customers.”
Big jackpot games will be available for sale at participating retail checkout lanes across the U.S. as states approve. Shoppers playing lottery games in this new way will activate their purchase via text and have their lottery numbers delivered in real time to a mobile phone with text and picture messaging capability. Shoppers will also be able to track their results virtually and have most prizes paid electronically.
“We look forward to leveraging our leading-edge lottery platform within Blackhawk Network’s vast distribution footprint of premier retailers. This provides lottery a new and efficient way to offer products to their customers, giving them access to a new lottery experience that’s interesting and exciting,” said Daniel Cage, founder and president of Linq3. “This program is designed to operate within current regulatory guidelines and provides lotteries the ability to significantly impact the growth of lottery revenues for their states.”
