What does a lottery courier app do?
Lottery tickets have to be sold by a licensed retailer, in the state that runs the game. Unless your state lottery sells tickets online itself, you can't buy a Powerball ticket on your phone the way you'd buy anything else.
A courier works around that. You place an order in the app, and the courier buys the matching ticket from a licensed retailer in your state, scans it and shows you the image. The paper ticket is held for you. Smaller prizes are typically credited to your app balance; for larger ones, you claim with the state lottery in the usual way. The exact process and thresholds depend on the app and the state, so read its prize terms before you play.
In short, you're paying someone to go to the store for you. The service fee is the price of that.
Where are lottery courier apps legal?
This is the first thing to check, because it decides whether you have any choice at all. A June 2026 regulatory review by Vixio sorts the states roughly like this:
- Expressly regulated: New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Colorado, and Oregon (from January 1, 2026). New Jersey and New York have the most detailed rules.
- Banned: Texas, Indiana, California, Florida, Mississippi, Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Everywhere else: no specific courier law. Couriers may operate, but without an explicit framework.
Some states, such as Michigan, Illinois and Pennsylvania, sell draw-game tickets online through the official state lottery, which removes the need for a courier. Our iLottery guide lists them.
How the bans happened
Texas moved first in 2025. On February 24, 2025, the then Texas Lottery Commission declared couriers not legal under Texas law and said it would move to revoke the license of any retailer working with one. Senate Bill 3070, signed in June 2025, then made it a Class A misdemeanor to buy, or arrange for compensation to buy, a lottery ticket by phone or through an internet or mobile app. Indiana made unauthorized courier services a Class A misdemeanor the same spring. California's lottery told retailers in June 2024 that working with couriers could cost them their contracts, Florida's lottery shut down a courier it said was operating without authorization in December 2024, and a February 2024 opinion from Mississippi's attorney general found couriers weren't authorized there. Virginia and Wisconsin already had statutes that rule them out.
How the four apps compare
Coverage and fees change often, and the apps publish their current terms inside the app rather than in one stable place. What we can say about each:
- Jackpocket is the best-known courier. DraftKings bought it in a deal completed in May 2024. It charges its fee when you add money to your account rather than on each order.
- Mido Lotto lists five states on its website: Arizona, California, Delaware, Montana and Oregon, and says it takes no cut of winnings. California's lottery has told retailers not to work with couriers, so check the position there before you play.
- Jackpot.com and Lotto.com also operate in a number of states. Check each app's state list and fee terms before you sign up.
The fee is the main cost difference, and it's charged in one of two ways: as a percentage of each order, or as a percentage of the money you deposit. A deposit fee applies even to money you later spend on tickets that lose, so compare like with like. Here is what a $20 order costs at different fee rates:
| Fee rate | Fee on $20 of tickets | Total cost | Extra per year on $312 of play* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $2.00 | $22.00 | $31.20 |
| 15% | $3.00 | $23.00 | $46.80 |
| 20% | $4.00 | $24.00 | $62.40 |
| 25% | $5.00 | $25.00 | $78.00 |
*One $2 Powerball play in each of the game's three weekly drawings for a year. The rate you pay is shown at checkout or on the deposit screen; check it there, and watch for promotional offers that change it.
What courier apps are useful for
If a courier is legal where you live, you can play Powerball, Mega Millions and in-state draw games without going to a store. Most apps can buy the same numbers for every drawing automatically, check your tickets for you, and handle group play where everyone chips in and shares any prize.
What couriers don't change
Your privacy. The app verifies your identity and holds your payment details. A large prize is still claimed through the state lottery, under that state's disclosure rules.
Your taxes. Prizes are taxed the same way as a ticket bought in a store. Under the IRS instructions for Form W-2G, payments made in 2026 are reported on a W-2G at $2,000 or more (up from $600), and 24% federal tax is withheld when the prize minus the wager is over $5,000. All winnings are taxable whether or not a form is issued.
Where you can play. You can only order a ticket while you're physically in a state where the courier operates. New Jersey's rules, for example, require the customer to be located in New Jersey when they authorize the purchase.
Are courier apps legal?
Where a state has authorized them, yes. You appoint the courier to buy a ticket for you, the way you might ask a friend to pick one up, and the courier charges for the service. New Jersey's rules allow a fee for that service but bar couriers from taking any portion of a customer's winnings. In the seven ban states, using or operating a courier is off the table, and in states with no specific law the position can change quickly.
Is a courier worth it?
For someone who already plays regularly in a state where couriers are allowed, the convenience can be worth a modest fee. Pick the app that covers your state at the lowest effective rate, counting whether it charges on deposits or orders. If you don't already play, a courier doesn't make the lottery a better bet: a $2 Powerball ticket is worth well under $2 in expected value before any fee.
Lottery courier apps: common questions
Which states ban lottery courier apps?
Texas, Indiana, California, Florida, Mississippi, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to Vixio's 2026 regulatory review. New Jersey, New York, Arkansas, Colorado and Oregon regulate couriers expressly.
Can I use Jackpocket in Texas or California?
No. Texas made buying or arranging lottery purchases through an app a Class A misdemeanor in 2025, and California's lottery has told retailers not to work with couriers.
Do lottery courier apps take a cut of your winnings?
The couriers earn their money from service fees. Regulated states such as New Jersey bar couriers from collecting any portion of a player's winnings, and Mido Lotto says it takes no cut.
How do you claim a big prize won through a courier app?
Smaller prizes are usually credited to your app balance. For larger prizes you claim with the state lottery as any retail winner would, with the usual ID checks and tax withholding. Each app's prize terms set out the details.
Do you pay taxes on lottery winnings from an app?
Yes, exactly as with a store-bought ticket. For 2026 payments, a W-2G is issued at $2,000 or more, and 24% federal tax is withheld on prizes over $5,000 (after subtracting the wager). State tax depends on where you live and where the ticket was bought.
To check your numbers wherever you bought the ticket, see the latest results on our homepage.
Sources: Vixio U.S. regulatory review of lottery couriers (June 2026); Texas Lottery Commission courier statement (Feb. 2025); Texas SB 3070; N.J.A.C. 17:20-12.1; Mido Lotto website; IRS Instructions for Form W-2G (Jan. 2026). Courier fees and state coverage change often; confirm the rate in the app and your state lottery's rules before you play.
