Lottery Couriers and mass lottery ticket purchases are causing major headaches for state lottery commissions across the United States. These sophisticated players, whose operations are entirely legal, are upending the order of a major cash cow that many states rely on to fund everything from new classroom computers to state parks. Now the State of Oregon is looking at new ways of getting this sector of their gaming ecosystem under control.
In a recent letter to the Oregon Secretary of State, the Oregon State Lottery outlined the need for regulatory change to combat lottery couriers and proposed some regulatory changes to do just that.
Lottery officials acknowledged that they are not certain to what extent lottery couriers are operating in the state or the impact that they’ve had. They did identify 13 retailers who are working with lottery couriers of one kind or another.
“Recent developments have promoted [sic] the Lottery to reevaluate its approach to courier services. Since April 2024, concerns about couriers have escalated through media reports, foreign regulators and state legislatures … Direct communications to the Oregon Lottery from both international and U.S. lotteries as well as national gaming bodies have further intensified the pressure and made it clear that Oregon needs clear regulatory guidance for Lottery retailers who work with couriers,” the lottery noted.
The Commission went on to propose that the State ban out-of-state lottery ticket sales, while also beefing up the reporting and record keeping requirements for retailers working with couriers. The State acknowledged that, “Reputable courier services may already meet the requirements because they are required in other lottery jurisdictions in which the couriers operate.”
Lottery couriers are under increased scrutiny across the United States with Texas, New Jersey and Arizona all tweaking their regulations recently to deal with the issue.