Digital forms of payment for lottery products becoming more accessible in the U.S.
By Kate Northrop
The West Virginia Lottery announced last week that it will now accept credit card purchases as a form of payment for lottery tickets.
Lottery players in West Virginia have a new way to pay for their tickets now that they may be bought using a credit card.
A bank-issued credit card or debit card may be used to buy tickets for all traditional lottery games in West Virginia, including instant and draw games. The change went into effect on July 1.
Since credit card transactions incur fees for sellers, the Lottery said that retailers may establish a minimum amount for debit or credit card purchases at their stores. However, a single transaction or the purchase of lottery tickets cannot exceed $200.
Players should note that retailers do not have to accept credit card and debit cards as payment types, and that some licensed retailers are still allowed to accept cash as the only payment type for lottery purchases. Stores that accept credit card purchases will have a visible sign posted.
As convenience continues to cement itself as a staple amongst consumers, more state lotteries are slowly beginning to accept digital forms of payment for lottery products. One month ago, the Washington Lottery announced that it would be allowing players to buy tickets with a debit card.
Some state lotteries are hesitant to open the door to credit card purchases because, with it, there are some complications involved. With debit card purchases, a player cannot overdraw their balance when attempting to make purchases. Credit cards create the possibility that a person can go into debt playing the lottery.
There was a similar debacle last year where a UK couple lost out on a £182 (US$254 million) EuroMillions jackpot when they discovered that the payment for their winning lottery ticket did not go through due to insufficient funds in their bank account the one time their usual numbers came up in a drawing.
While state lotteries change to fit the needs of customers in a digital world, they will also have to figure out how to navigate the extra financial facet these cashless payment methods bring to the table.
"We recognize the world is evolving into a cashless society," the Washington Lottery said last month. "Many players carry little to no cash on a regular basis. Our goal is to make players' lives more convenient by providing them the ability to purchase our products with debit cards at lottery vending machines."
I know some stores here and IN will not take credit cards anymore, but Debit cards are welcome. From what one retailer in Indiana said too many folks were contesting the credit card charges. Yet here can still use my credit card without a PIN, just wants zipcode entered. About as lack of security as you can get.
LOL. Well at the store I work at debit cards can't be used, but credit cards can be. My theory is banks don't want people draining their bank accounts on lottery play, but go ahead and run up your cc balance so we get paid more interest. Just a theory.
For me, I always buy my tix with cash.
My lottery rep was in the store yesterday, wish I remembered to ask him about it.
A limit of $200 per transaction seems reasonable until you realize a player with a gambling problem will just go to several stores or visit the same store several times. Most players are not addicts, but this will exacerbate the problems faced by the minority of players who are addicts.
The West Virginia state government is trying to ensure a constant flow of money into their coffers as the economy is going into a recession.
It's amazing that they are just now realizing that people are using their phone scanners and debit cards to pay for things. Where have they been? When I worked in retail back in 2017 most people were not carrying cash even back then. This did not just happen in the summer of 2022.
I'm amazed too because the West Virginia Lottery was always ahead of the curve. But an old law preventing the use of debit/credit cards for gambling might be the reason.
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Well, I just realized I had it backword. Guess its old age.
Here in Texas debit cards ARE accepted for lottery tix, but NOT credit cards.
Had to set the record straight.