With the popularity of Powerball jackpots swelling to new heights, the demand to purchase Powerball tickets from the convenience of their homes, cars, gym, or work locations via their computers or through other online means like via their smartphones app is on the rise.
As reported by the Inquisitr , when the Powerball jackpot reached an estimated $1.3 billion, Powerball apps came under the spotlight. LotteryHUB is the official app of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, but of all the benefits listed on the app, buying Powerball tickets via the app isn’t listed on iTunes.
Another app, however, allows people to buy Powerball tickets via their phones — at least in New Hampshire, which has become the first state in the U.S. to let buyers purchase Powerball tickets using the app. More states will be allowed to buy Powerball tickets via the AutoLotto app in the future.
According to WAMC, Powerball tickets can now be purchased online via smartphones using the AutoLotto app. AutoLotto is by a company based in San Francisco, and Powerball tickets have already been selling via the app for a few weeks now.
Saturday, July 16th #Powerball numbers are out! Will someone take home that $333M jackpot tonight?? pic.twitter.com/JF0nnsaWCF
— Lottery.com (@lotterydotcom) July 17, 2016
As reported by the Concord Monitor , the Powerball tickets now sold through AutoLotto aren’t necessarily welcome news to all stores that already sell Powerball tickets, since Powerball ticket sales represent a big part of store sales.
However, one of the founders of AutoLotto, Matt Clemenson, says that online sales of Powerball tickets via their app shouldn’t be of great concern to store owners. Matt notes that quite a few countries outside the U.S. already sell lottery tickets online without hurting store sales.
Indeed, sales of Powerball tickets via apps like AutoLotto likely won’t take away from convenience store sales. Instead, they will likely continue to facilitate sales of Powerball tickets that wouldn’t normally be purchased if the person hadn’t bought them through the app.
Stores in New Hampshire will get to keep 5 percent of the ticket sale revenue on jackpot winnings along with a bonus payment.
As seen in the below photo, Kyle Busch raced at the NASCAR Xfinity AutoLotto 200 auto race on Saturday, July 16 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Previously, Powerball tickets could not be purchased through apps because of state laws that prevented firms in other states from selling lottery tickets outside of those state lines. But AutoLotto made an agreement with T-Bird Minimart, and the agreement got the blessing of the state lottery commission.
The app’s features describe the benefits of buying Powerball tickets online.
“Tap. Tap. Ticket. Say goodbye to driving to the store, getting cash from an ATM, waiting in long lines, and losing your ticket.
“Play Faster: Play the real Powerball in just two taps, right from your phone.
“Play Safer: Never lose your Powerball ticket ever. There are $2 Billion each year in lost lottery tickets. We keep yours safe.
“Play Better: 100 Percent Free to users. No Fees, No Commissions. Easy Cash Out in the app. You keep every penny.”
AutoLotto has gotten lots of buzz because of their theory about the demands of players to buy Powerball tickets online and not on paper, which is being viewed as an outdated, antiquated, inconvenient, and risky means of buying lottery tickets. The app actually buys Powerball tickets on paper and is essentially a lottery order-taker for the ticket-buying public.
LotteryHUB allows players to scan their lottery tickets, watch live drawings, view recent jackpot news, get alerts for winning tickets, and even check state lottery numbers.
[Photo by Tony Dejak/AP Images]
