Updated October 2026
Where lottery couriers operate in the US
Lottery couriers order official tickets on your behalf from a licensed retailer, scan them into your account and hold the originals. Five states regulate them, seven ban them, and the rest have no courier law at all. Every status below cites a statute, a regulator action or a specialist tracker; operator presence is listed only where a named source puts it.
Regulated states
Couriers must hold a licence or registration and follow the state's rules.
| State | Age | Framework | Couriers with a sourced presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 18+ | Permitted within the state lottery's retailer rules.Source: Vixio 2026 | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com |
| Colorado | 18+ | Permitted within general lottery retailer regulations; Jackpocket and Jackpot.com operate.Source: Vixio 2026; Legal Sports Report 2026 | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com |
| New Jersey | 18+ | Registered couriers only (N.J.A.C. 17:20-12): responsible-play rules, no winner publicity without approval, no content aimed at minors. theLotter, Jackpocket and Jackpot.com are registered.Source: N.J.A.C. 17:20-12.23; Vixio 2026 | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com |
| New York | 18+ | Licensed couriers only (9 NYCRR Part 5014): geolocation, independent testing, ad pre-approval, and a ban on describing the courier as a place to "play" or "buy" lottery tickets. theLotter, Jackpocket and Jackpot.com hold licences.Source: 9 NYCRR 5014.17; Vixio 2026 | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com |
| Oregon | 18+ | Courier rules effective 2026-01-01: retailers must notify the Lottery within 14 days of a courier contract; couriers must geolocate customers inside Oregon; bulk purchases capped. theLotter US and Jackpocket operate.Source: Oregon Lottery retailer rule change (2026); theLotter affiliate manager 2026-09-22 | theLotter US, Jackpocket (DraftKings) |
Banned states
Couriers may not take orders from inside these states. We never present them as courier states.
- California
Lottery directive of 2024-06-18: retailers selling to couriers risk losing their contract.
Source: California Lottery directive, June 2024 (via Vixio)
- Florida
Enforcement action against couriers, December 2024.
Source: Vixio 2026
- Indiana
House Bill 1053 (effective 2025-05-01) makes operating a courier without express authorisation a Class A misdemeanor.
Source: Indiana HB 1053 (via Vixio)
- Mississippi
Attorney General opinion of 2024-02-08 treats courier sales as prohibited. Lottery age 21+.
Source: Mississippi AG opinion (via Vixio)
- Texas
Senate Bill 3070 (effective 2025-06-20) prohibits courier services. Texas is never a courier state on this site.
Source: Texas SB 3070 (via Vixio)
- Virginia
Statutory prohibition on courier services; the state runs its own online lottery.
Source: Vixio 2026
- Wisconsin
Statutory prohibition on courier services.
Source: Vixio 2026
No courier law, couriers present
Not expressly permitted or banned. Availability can change quickly; the courier confirms it at order time.
| State | Age | Couriers | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 21+ | theLotter US, Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com | Couriers operate (theLotter US, Jackpocket, Jackpot.com). Lottery age is 21+. Regulators have discussed restrictions — status can change.Source: Vixio 2026; theLotter affiliate manager 2026-09-22 |
| District of Columbia | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Jackpocket operates.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| Idaho | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Jackpocket operates.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| Massachusetts | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com | Jackpocket and Jackpot.com operate.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| Minnesota | 18+ | theLotter US, Jackpocket (DraftKings) | theLotter US and Jackpocket operate.Source: theLotter affiliate manager 2026-09-22; Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| Montana | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Jackpocket operates.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| Nebraska | 19+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Lottery age is 19+. Jackpocket operates.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| New Hampshire | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Jackpocket operates; regulators have discussed restrictions.Source: Vixio 2026 |
| New Mexico | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | No courier framework. |
| Ohio | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings), Jackpot.com | Jackpocket and Jackpot.com operate.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
| West Virginia | 18+ | Jackpocket (DraftKings) | Jackpocket operates.Source: Legal Sports Report 2026 |
No courier law, no sourced courier presence
Alabama (18+) · Alaska (18+) · Connecticut (18+) · Delaware (18+) · Georgia (18+) · Hawaii (18+) · Illinois (18+) · Iowa (21+) · Kansas (18+) · Kentucky (18+) · Louisiana (21+) · Maine (18+) · Maryland (18+) · Michigan (18+) · Missouri (18+) · Nevada (18+) · North Carolina (18+) · North Dakota (18+) · Oklahoma (18+) · Pennsylvania (18+) · Rhode Island (18+) · South Carolina (18+) · South Dakota (18+) · Tennessee (18+) · Utah (18+) · Vermont (18+) · Washington (18+) · Wyoming (18+)
Operators and sources
theLotter US affiliate relationship disclosed
US arm of the Malta-licensed messenger service; registered courier in New York and New Jersey.
States: OR, MN, AZ
Source: theLotter affiliate manager, 2026-09-22 (its own site lists more states; not listed here until confirmed)
Jackpocket (DraftKings) no affiliate relationship
Largest US footprint. We hold no live affiliate relationship; listed for completeness only.
States: AZ, AR, CO, DC, ID, MA, MN, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NM, OH, OR, WV
Source: Legal Sports Report online-lottery guide, 2026 (Jackpocket's published state list)
Jackpot.com no affiliate relationship
Registered in New York and New Jersey. No affiliate relationship.
States: AZ, AR, CO, MA, NJ, NY, OH
Source: Legal Sports Report online-lottery guide, 2026
Questions
- What is a lottery courier?
- A lottery courier (New York and New Jersey also call it a courier service; theLotter calls itself a messenger) takes your order online, sends a staff member to a licensed retailer to buy the official paper ticket, scans it into your account before the draw and stores the original. Prizes are paid by the state lottery, not by the courier. You do not play or buy the lottery at the courier; it orders the ticket on your behalf.
- Which states ban lottery couriers in 2026?
- As of October 2026: Texas (Senate Bill 3070, effective 20 June 2025), Indiana (House Bill 1053, 1 May 2025), California (lottery directive, June 2024), Florida (enforcement action, December 2024), Mississippi (Attorney General opinion, February 2024), Virginia and Wisconsin (statute).
- Which states regulate couriers?
- New York (9 NYCRR Part 5014: licensing, geolocation, independent testing and advertising pre-approval) and New Jersey (N.J.A.C. 17:20-12: registration, responsible-play rules) have detailed frameworks. Arkansas, Colorado and Oregon permit couriers within their lottery retailer rules; Oregon’s courier rules took effect on 1 January 2026.
- Do I have to be in the state to order?
- Yes. Couriers geolocate you at order time and only accept orders from inside a state where they operate; most also tie your account to one state. Being a resident is not enough if you are physically elsewhere.
- How old do I have to be?
- The state lottery’s minimum age applies: 18 in most states, 19 in Nebraska, and 21 in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Jackpot Courier is an independent guide. We may earn a commission from couriers we link to elsewhere on this site; this page carries no operator links. 18+ (21+ in AZ, IA, LA, MS; 19+ in NE). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.