Jackpocket, a mobile-first startup helping to modernize state lotteries, received for the first time a responsible gaming certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) as part of its Internet Responsible Gambling Compliance Assessment Program (iCAP), the highest standard in the U.S. for online responsible gaming. The assessment was conducted by Gambling Integrity, one of the world’s leading consultancies in responsible gambling.
“We applaud Jackpocket on achieving their iCAP certification and for their ongoing commitment to consumer protection,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “The iCAP assessment process includes rigorous independent review and testing, to verify Jackpocket’s player protection features and policies meet our best practice standards for responsible gambling.”
The evaluation consisted of a product and website overview, interviews with management and customer service teams, and a review of the company’s responsible gaming policies, tools, advertising and promotions. Jackpocket safeguards against abusive gameplay through a variety of consumer protections—including being the first mobile lottery service to tie the ticket serial number to the player’s identity—many of which were highlighted in the evaluation:
- Player limits: Jackpocket enforces deposit and spend limits. Players can also set their own limits, which cannot be modified for seven days. Customers who ask for high deposit or spend limits are monitored for risky behavior, and checks can be made on the affordability of their play.
- Self-exclusion: Users can exclude themselves from play for any amount of time. During this period they’re not able to buy more credits or place orders, and autoplays are deactivated. Winnings from outstanding orders are still distributed, and players can cash out remaining account credits.
- Player and location identification: Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering compliance ensure every Jackpocket player is identified and age-verified before any play is allowed, eliminating underage registrants. Jackpocket also uses geofencing to validate the latitude and longitude coordinates of every order, ensuring each play occurs within legal sate boundaries.
- Support: For those needing gambling support, players can contact the NCPG’s 24-hour confidential hotline via a call or text message, as well as access the organization’s website from directly within the app. They also can close their account from the same app page.
“We want our players to be entertained, but it’s our top priority to make sure the experience doesn’t turn from being fun to financially troubling. Not only do we encourage responsible gameplay, we’re going a step further by using data to track player behavior and identify problem gamblers in real time, providing even more transparency and insights into our players than the traditional system,” said Jackpocket CEO Peter Sullivan. “We’re glad our responsible gaming protections comply with iCAP’s thorough requirements for a more responsible lottery, and proud to be recognized as an official member of the NCPG.”