Massachusetts Lottery to allow prize claims via mobile app

Nov 30, 2020, 8:50 pm (27 comments)

Massachusetts Lottery

New method for claiming winnings to become available next spring

By Kate Northrop

BRAINTREE, Mass. — Players who are tired of traveling to claim centers or mailing away their winning lottery tickets to claim their prizes will soon have a new option. Next spring, the Massachusetts Lottery will begin allowing players to claim larger prizes through their phones.

The Massachusetts Lottery plans on expanding the functionality of its mobile app to give players the options of having winnings deposited directly into a bank account. According to the Lottery, the new alternative in the prize claims process will eliminate millions of miles of travel by car and will subsequently contribute to bringing down greenhouse gas emissions. 

"Besides doing all the obvious things like meeting our customers where they already are, meeting the modern-day technology expectations of people, it potentially has a huge impact on the environment," Massachusetts Lottery Director Michael Sweeney remarked.

Players have long advocated for a way of quickly scanning lottery tickets through the mobile app, and the Lottery listened. The first phase of the rollout will accomplish just that, followed by the implementation of the second phase, which is the ability to claim prizes between $601 and $5,000 through the mobile app. Winnings claimed through this method will be wired to a player's bank account after the Lottery withholds any unpaid tax or child support obligations.

Sweeney said that the ability to scan tickets as well as the new claim option will grant players more privacy and convenience.

"If you live on the Cape, you have to drive to New Bedford or Dorchester or Braintree," Sweeney said. "If you live in Western Mass., in Williamstown or North Adams, you have to drive down to Springfield. These are not convenient trips for anyone."

The Lottery estimates that a 50% adoption rate for the new mobile cashing app will mean 78,000 fewer trips to a prize claim center and could potentially eliminate around 2.78 million miles traveled by car, saving at least 110,000 gallons of gasoline and reducing greenhouse gas emissions each year by 983.1 metric tons. These calculations are based on prize claim data from last year.

 "The great thing about this is that it's continuous," Sweeney added. "That benefit goes on every single year without additional costs. I think our customers share a general concern about the environment too, and... if you are somebody now who is a frequent lottery player who has in the past had to drive to one of our physical locations, this is an opportunity to both make things more convenient for you but also to do a solid for the environment at the same time."

Since the update to the prize claims process only covers prizes valued greater than $600 and $5,000 or less, winners of $600 or less must still claim their prize at an official Lottery retailer.

Sweeney credited the Ohio Lottery for assisting in the idea and implementation of the new mobile app cashing option, which launched mobile cashing through its own app this April. The Ohio Lottery allows players to cash prizes valued between $50 and $5,000 and processed 7,750 claims worth a cumulative $6.2 million within the first three weeks of launching.

Both Sweeney and Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg pushed Legislature to allow the sale of lottery products online and via a mobile app in order to keep up with modern trends that offer players a more convenient and positive gaming experience. In a bid to meet consumer demands and perform well in an actively changing industry, the Lottery has recently replaced older equipment, updated its data operation, and increased its presence on social media.

This summer, Goldberg estimated that allowing online sales during the Lottery's three worst months of the pandemic could have earned the organization anywhere between $70 million and $80 million in revenue. The closure of many retailers meant that sales declined and consumers moved to online spaces — a change in customer behavior that acted as a detriment, rather an advantage, to the Lottery.

However, the Massachusetts Lottery was one of the state-sponsored lotteries to see a recovery in its sales following the dip, even reaching a net profit of $986.9 million for the state to mark its third-best fiscal year in generating revenue.

Now, the move toward the mobile platform is the Lottery's latest push to compete with casinos, fantasy sports, and likely sports betting while continuing to drive its revenue for the state beyond $900 million.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

sully16's avatarsully16

Sounds like a time saver.

konane's avatarkonane

Very nice innovation.

Bleudog101

Had written to D. Goldberg for those who remember saying I did about three years ago.  Informed her about our on-line ticket sales in KY and they should do the same.   Not even a reply---oh well.

Glad they replaced those big old blue dot matrix lotto machines, they were definitely a relic.   Haven't been home to see the new IGT machines, no doubt like other states.

I think shortly here we'll be offering on-line pick 3 & 4 as a survey came out asking if one would do that.

We don't have remote deposit for winning tickets though (yet) and will send KLC a FB message suggesting that.

sam9009's avatarsam9009

Shocking that this option is not available nationwide.

Hopefully other states jump on.

Nikkicute's avatarNikkicute

Massachusetts Players hold on to those tickets! 

Keep track and try not to lose them, with this app anyone may try to cash in a 

ticket that doesn't belong to them, stay safeYes Nod

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by sam9009 on Dec 1, 2020

Shocking that this option is not available nationwide.

Hopefully other states jump on.

I agree here it is the 21st Century and some things never change!

 

The Kentucky Lottery liked my suggestion that they follow Massachusetts' and Ohio's allowing this.   They passed it on to their team!

bigbuckswede

Claim online.

I have said it many times, lotteries in US could look how we do it in europe.

If I were to win up to $600.000 (5.000.000 kr) in Sweden, this amount will automatically be deposited in my bank account.

Big Joey

Massachusetts Lottery has season tickets for out of state players, so this is just another great thing they are doing to make it easier to cash in a winning ticket.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Big Joey on Dec 1, 2020

Massachusetts Lottery has season tickets for out of state players, so this is just another great thing they are doing to make it easier to cash in a winning ticket.

You can buy Megabucks Doubler and Mass Cash over the phone; cannot do that for Lucky 4 Life, MM or PB.   I think the rules are the same, they send out a check if you win over $10.   since I haven't won yet this year nothing has come.   I used to have my Brother get the MM/PB subscriptions, then a good friend, then stopped altogether.

L J1's avatarL J1

That sure is a nice option when there's Deep Snow outside.

Concord

With the MA Lottery and Season Tickets ... if you just win $10 they send you a check, it doesn't have to be over $10. Earlier in November I hit two nights in a row with two different sets of numbers ... five tickets on one set and six tickets on the other set.

A short later, usually 10 days or less I received eleven $10 checks in the mail. The number set that I have six tickets on also hit again with four out of five numbers. They sent six checks for $250.

I have never had to call about any money. Instead of calling GA to order a Season Ticket, I do it online and you do not have to use a credit card and pay fee charges. You can still use a card but you can also just pay 35 cents to transfer money ACH ... doesn't matter what the total is ... $100 or $2,000 ... it's only 35 cents.

The Holiday Special is on now and never forget ... it is only a 35 number  game !

...

Bleudog101

True if you physically purchase Season Tickets in MA you don't have to use a credit card and get to go to their website to register the tickets.   Have done that before when I purchased in person and several times with Brother/Friend buying them.

However the website doesn't allow out of state folks this option and you do get socked with high fees from GA office.

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Dec 2, 2020

True if you physically purchase Season Tickets in MA you don't have to use a credit card and get to go to their website to register the tickets.   Have done that before when I purchased in person and several times with Brother/Friend buying them.

However the website doesn't allow out of state folks this option and you do get socked with high fees from GA office.

That's not true ... I live out of state and purchase all my tickets online and I don't use a credit card. I used to use a credit card but did not like the fees. I was actually not going to buy anymore tickets and then they came up with the 35 cent charge. They may have lost some customers over those fees, I don't know.

Season Tickets:

Only Mass Cash and Megabucks Doubler Season Tickets can be mailed to addresses outside of Massachusetts.

There will be a $13 Shipping Fee added to your total purchase if Season Tickets are mailed out of the state of Massachusetts.

There will be a 2.35% non-refundable fee for credit card transactions and a $0.35 non-refundable fee for eCheck/ACH transactions.

I find it easier to order at the web site if you are ordering multiple tickets ... you can take your time and not worry about the person in GA making any mistakes.

...

Bleudog101

I stand corrected, you are correct if you do it on-line which I did not.   SO....since I just stopped the ordering process how do you pay for it sans credit card?   Straight out of your bank???   Thank you.

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Dec 2, 2020

I stand corrected, you are correct if you do it on-line which I did not.   SO....since I just stopped the ordering process how do you pay for it sans credit card?   Straight out of your bank???   Thank you.

Bleudog101 ... yes the money comes out of your checking account. The online ordering process still goes through GA ... whether you call on the phone or order online. It's crazy but all 'out of state' purchases go through a 'third party' in GA.

I'm not sure what eCheck is but ACH is a checking account ... maybe both terms are the same or mean the same thing, I just use the term ACH.

When you order online and get to the 'payment' part ... take time to look for the ACH payment option. ...they are 'assuming' you are paying by credit card and it will go through as a credit card transaction. I think on the right side or somewhere you have to change everything yourself to an ACH payment and you will see the 35 cent fee as I remember. A new page will appear for your banking information or something like that.

They don't make it easy ... they probably want you to use a credit card so they can get the fees. They don't make much on a 35 cent charge. That's why I like taking my time online and not be rushed with using a phone call to an agent.

I also do not know if you can only pay 35 cents with a phone call order ... maybe they only take credit cards on phone orders.

Hope this helps ... any more questions just ask.

...

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Concord on Dec 2, 2020

Bleudog101 ... yes the money comes out of your checking account. The online ordering process still goes through GA ... whether you call on the phone or order online. It's crazy but all 'out of state' purchases go through a 'third party' in GA.

I'm not sure what eCheck is but ACH is a checking account ... maybe both terms are the same or mean the same thing, I just use the term ACH.

When you order online and get to the 'payment' part ... take time to look for the ACH payment option. ...they are 'assuming' you are paying by credit card and it will go through as a credit card transaction. I think on the right side or somewhere you have to change everything yourself to an ACH payment and you will see the 35 cent fee as I remember. A new page will appear for your banking information or something like that.

They don't make it easy ... they probably want you to use a credit card so they can get the fees. They don't make much on a 35 cent charge. That's why I like taking my time online and not be rushed with using a phone call to an agent.

I also do not know if you can only pay 35 cents with a phone call order ... maybe they only take credit cards on phone orders.

Hope this helps ... any more questions just ask.

...

Concord, thanks again.

 

One time I tried to do it as a gift and asked questions that I didn't know the answer to so just stopped.

 

Believe it or not taking a week off from KLC, however do have two draws for PB and MM in Indiana....lottery fatigue setting in big time.

 

Jeffrey

sam9009's avatarsam9009

Quote: Originally posted by bigbuckswede on Dec 1, 2020

Claim online.

I have said it many times, lotteries in US could look how we do it in europe.

If I were to win up to $600.000 (5.000.000 kr) in Sweden, this amount will automatically be deposited in my bank account.

No claim form?

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Dec 2, 2020

Concord, thanks again.

 

One time I tried to do it as a gift and asked questions that I didn't know the answer to so just stopped.

 

Believe it or not taking a week off from KLC, however do have two draws for PB and MM in Indiana....lottery fatigue setting in big time.

 

Jeffrey

I fully understand about 'lottery fatigue' ... I have ten tickets from last December that will run out just before Christmas. I went through seven months of no hits ... just two numbers constantly ... couldn't get three or four numbers till August and then September ... October and November were wild. I kept taking checks to the bank and the woman teller just sees all these checks from the MA Lottery for the last three months.

I was wondering if I was ever going to hit any money during those seven months. In my case I have to play my tickets for a year and usually some hits will come somewhere in the year. Still have never made a profit but with the ticket price discount and some wins my losses are not too bad. I win nothing in PA so I send my money mostly to MA.

When you are out of state ... you buy your tickets then sit back and hope. Since the Mass Cash started in July 2018 ... I have hit four out of five numbers four times and many three out of five hits. Two times I was one  number off from either a $500,000 or $600,000 jackpot. Like 14 came out and I needed 13 for the fifth number.

However, that means nothing with bouncing balls ... anything could bounce out. That's another thing that I like about Mass Cash ... all bouncing balls, no computer picks.

Here was a big six winner night last July and five tickets were Season Tickets, probably all one person playing their numbers five times.

Monday Jul 20, 2020

05 - 07 - 12 - 18 - 29

6 Jackpot Winners: Rockland (1), Season Ticket (5)

Good luck ...

michael

HAMMY WAMMY's avatarHAMMY WAMMY

I just purchased my Mass Cash Season Ticket.  The current discount is a great deal. A few years ago i ordered a Megabucks ticket over the phone but never had any wins over the year i had the ticket. 

Cheers and Good Luck to everyone in the New Year!

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by HAMMY WAMMY on Dec 2, 2020

I just purchased my Mass Cash Season Ticket.  The current discount is a great deal. A few years ago i ordered a Megabucks ticket over the phone but never had any wins over the year i had the ticket. 

Cheers and Good Luck to everyone in the New Year!

Good luck to you ! ... now you have to sweat it out for three weeks that your numbers don't hit in the waiting period. Actually you should already be in your first week and you should only have two weeks more till your tickets start.

Tickets always start on a Sunday night and end on a Saturday night. This just happened to me in November.

Studying some numbers from September and October and decided to play these five numbers for six months. They were sort of hot in various forms and after I came up with my five numbers, I noticed all five numbers had just come out exact a few nights earlier. I did not see that they had already hit but they were all hot numbers over five or six weeks and the numbers I had written on my sheet of paper were the same ones that had just hit.

So I was thinking of changing one ... decided to play my numbers ... the ones that had just come out. I'm hoping for a 'repeat' hit.

So I placed my order around the first of November and as I mentioned earlier ... I had to hope they didn't come out for three weeks. They almost did several times ... two numbers kept hitting a few times. My tickets were due to start on Sunday November 22 and wouldn't you know it, they hit on Saturday Nov 21 ... three numbers hit so I missed $60 dollars ... I have six tickets.

So they start on Nov 22nd and then the very next night Monday ... three numbers hit again and this time I win $60. Still would have liked to have the $60 from Saturday night. I have had my numbers come out just when my tickets have expired. I had tickets run out on Saturday night and then hit on Sunday night when they were worthless.

So you are now in the waiting game. When those tickets hit on Monday night I got my checks the day after Thanksgiving ... four days with a holiday ... I have never received any checks that fast from MA. They usually average around ten days. Maybe the system has been upgraded or it was a slow week at the lottery and they processed the checks fast on Tuesday.

This set of numbers ... 04-10-24-25-27 has been drawn three times.

Hope you win ...

...

sam9009's avatarsam9009

Quote: Originally posted by Concord on Dec 2, 2020

Good luck to you ! ... now you have to sweat it out for three weeks that your numbers don't hit in the waiting period. Actually you should already be in your first week and you should only have two weeks more till your tickets start.

Tickets always start on a Sunday night and end on a Saturday night. This just happened to me in November.

Studying some numbers from September and October and decided to play these five numbers for six months. They were sort of hot in various forms and after I came up with my five numbers, I noticed all five numbers had just come out exact a few nights earlier. I did not see that they had already hit but they were all hot numbers over five or six weeks and the numbers I had written on my sheet of paper were the same ones that had just hit.

So I was thinking of changing one ... decided to play my numbers ... the ones that had just come out. I'm hoping for a 'repeat' hit.

So I placed my order around the first of November and as I mentioned earlier ... I had to hope they didn't come out for three weeks. They almost did several times ... two numbers kept hitting a few times. My tickets were due to start on Sunday November 22 and wouldn't you know it, they hit on Saturday Nov 21 ... three numbers hit so I missed $60 dollars ... I have six tickets.

So they start on Nov 22nd and then the very next night Monday ... three numbers hit again and this time I win $60. Still would have liked to have the $60 from Saturday night. I have had my numbers come out just when my tickets have expired. I had tickets run out on Saturday night and then hit on Sunday night when they were worthless.

So you are now in the waiting game. When those tickets hit on Monday night I got my checks the day after Thanksgiving ... four days with a holiday ... I have never received any checks that fast from MA. They usually average around ten days. Maybe the system has been upgraded or it was a slow week at the lottery and they processed the checks fast on Tuesday.

This set of numbers ... 04-10-24-25-27 has been drawn three times.

Hope you win ...

...

So to claim winnings do you have to mail a claim form with the winning ticket or is it an automatic process?

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by sam9009 on Dec 3, 2020

So to claim winnings do you have to mail a claim form with the winning ticket or is it an automatic process?

You don't have to do anything ... once you do the paper work online or call on the phone and pay for your ticket ... your ticket will be sent and then you sit back and hope you picked some lucky numbers.

Like I said earlier ... you have to 'sweat' it out for roughly three weeks that your numbers don't hit till your ticket officially starts. Your ticket will ship UPS and not through USPS going out of state.

That should be it unless you get a jackpot hit.

...

bigbuckswede

All players in sweden are registered accountsand validated. My bank account are stored with Svenska Spel and big wins will be transferred to my account. Player that wins jackpot over 5.000.000 SEK will be invited to Svenska Spels office and will be getting legal advice for investments (not sure how covid-19 effect this)

Another example of easier transactions in sweden (Swish is a app for smartphones)

Easier withdrawal of winnings

HAMMY WAMMY's avatarHAMMY WAMMY

Quote: Originally posted by Concord on Dec 2, 2020

Good luck to you ! ... now you have to sweat it out for three weeks that your numbers don't hit in the waiting period. Actually you should already be in your first week and you should only have two weeks more till your tickets start.

Tickets always start on a Sunday night and end on a Saturday night. This just happened to me in November.

Studying some numbers from September and October and decided to play these five numbers for six months. They were sort of hot in various forms and after I came up with my five numbers, I noticed all five numbers had just come out exact a few nights earlier. I did not see that they had already hit but they were all hot numbers over five or six weeks and the numbers I had written on my sheet of paper were the same ones that had just hit.

So I was thinking of changing one ... decided to play my numbers ... the ones that had just come out. I'm hoping for a 'repeat' hit.

So I placed my order around the first of November and as I mentioned earlier ... I had to hope they didn't come out for three weeks. They almost did several times ... two numbers kept hitting a few times. My tickets were due to start on Sunday November 22 and wouldn't you know it, they hit on Saturday Nov 21 ... three numbers hit so I missed $60 dollars ... I have six tickets.

So they start on Nov 22nd and then the very next night Monday ... three numbers hit again and this time I win $60. Still would have liked to have the $60 from Saturday night. I have had my numbers come out just when my tickets have expired. I had tickets run out on Saturday night and then hit on Sunday night when they were worthless.

So you are now in the waiting game. When those tickets hit on Monday night I got my checks the day after Thanksgiving ... four days with a holiday ... I have never received any checks that fast from MA. They usually average around ten days. Maybe the system has been upgraded or it was a slow week at the lottery and they processed the checks fast on Tuesday.

This set of numbers ... 04-10-24-25-27 has been drawn three times.

Hope you win ...

...

Hey Concord! 

Thanks, yes fingers crossed my numbers dont come up during this 3 week waiting period.   I sure hope your numbers come up one more time while your ticket is valid... gotta  be an awful feeling having those numbers come up when your ticket wasn't valid. 

Cheers and good luck in the New Year!

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by HAMMY WAMMY on Dec 13, 2020

Hey Concord! 

Thanks, yes fingers crossed my numbers dont come up during this 3 week waiting period.   I sure hope your numbers come up one more time while your ticket is valid... gotta  be an awful feeling having those numbers come up when your ticket wasn't valid. 

Cheers and good luck in the New Year!

Good luck to you and all in the New Year. Sounds like you got your ticket from MA. My little 'hot streak' of hits in Oct and Nov seems to have come to an end. Keep getting two numbers two, three or four times a week and the third number will be one off. Very frustrating.

When MA opened this game up for play in July 2018 ... I decided to play it hard for a year or two and go (hope) for a nice jackpot. I will probably cut back and play less after all my tickets run out. I do have one set of numbers that have hit twice for 4 out of 5 numbers. I will work with that set of numbers with extra tickets ... they have also hit about eight times this year alone for three numbers. They seem to be 'almost' right there, maybe they will surprise me some night.

Hope you see some checks coming to Utah. The numbers are posted nightly at 10pm ET or a few minutes after.

...

HAMMY WAMMY's avatarHAMMY WAMMY

Quote: Originally posted by Concord on Dec 17, 2020

Good luck to you and all in the New Year. Sounds like you got your ticket from MA. My little 'hot streak' of hits in Oct and Nov seems to have come to an end. Keep getting two numbers two, three or four times a week and the third number will be one off. Very frustrating.

When MA opened this game up for play in July 2018 ... I decided to play it hard for a year or two and go (hope) for a nice jackpot. I will probably cut back and play less after all my tickets run out. I do have one set of numbers that have hit twice for 4 out of 5 numbers. I will work with that set of numbers with extra tickets ... they have also hit about eight times this year alone for three numbers. They seem to be 'almost' right there, maybe they will surprise me some night.

Hope you see some checks coming to Utah. The numbers are posted nightly at 10pm ET or a few minutes after.

...

My ticket arrived today and starts on Sunday  just like you said it would :) 

The hopefully lucky numbers are 1-3-5-9-33

Concord

Quote: Originally posted by HAMMY WAMMY on Dec 17, 2020

My ticket arrived today and starts on Sunday  just like you said it would :) 

The hopefully lucky numbers are 1-3-5-9-33

Well the 'lottery gods' almost threw one at you. They wanted to get your heart pumping and now you have to sweat it out for two more nights till your numbers officially start. Don't make the 'lottery gods' angry !!!

Thursday, December 17, 2020 / 01-03-04-15-31 and your numbers: 01-03-05-09-33.

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