Heads up: KenoSpots is an independent informational site. We do not sell tickets, take bets, or partner with any courier, and nothing here is an endorsement of any service. Courier availability, supported games, and legal status change frequently and vary by state. Always verify the current details directly with a courier and your state lottery before relying on them.
What Is a Lottery Courier?
A lottery courier is a third-party service that buys official lottery tickets for you. You place an order through the company's app or website, and a courier representative physically purchases the matching ticket at a licensed retailer inside your state. The courier then scans the ticket, stores the physical copy, and checks it against the draw. If your ticket wins, smaller prizes are usually credited to your account automatically.
The important distinction is that a courier is not the lottery and is not a casino. When a true courier buys you a ticket, you hold a genuine state-lottery ticket, and any prize is a real lottery prize paid by the lottery. The courier is simply the errand-runner between you and the retailer. This is different from offshore sites that take a bet on the outcome of a draw without buying a real ticket, which is a separate model discussed below.
Which Lottery Courier Services Exist?
A handful of couriers serve United States players. The best known are below. We list them for reference only and do not recommend one over another.
| Service | What it is |
|---|---|
| Jackpocket | The largest US courier by footprint. Founded in 2013 and acquired by DraftKings in 2024. Buys official state-lottery tickets at licensed retailers through its app. |
| Lotto.com | A US-based courier operating in roughly a dozen states. Buys official tickets on your behalf. |
| Jackpot.com | A US-based courier that became an associate member of the state-lottery trade body (NASPL) in 2024. Buys official tickets on your behalf. |
| theLotter | An international operator running since 2002. Its US arm operates as a courier buying official tickets and received a New York courier license in 2024. Its legal status has been contested in some states. |
| Mido Lotto | A smaller US courier that buys official tickets and scans them to your account. |
Can You Play Keno Through a Lottery Courier?
This is the question that matters most for keno players, and the honest answer is: sometimes, in some states, through some couriers. Keno is not as widely available through couriers as big draw games like Powerball and Mega Millions, for a few reasons.
- Keno is a state game. A courier can only sell keno if it operates in a state that runs keno, and if it has chosen to offer that specific game. Many couriers focus on jackpot draw games and do not list keno at all.
- Keno draws are fast and frequent. State keno games draw every few minutes, which is a different operational model than a twice-weekly jackpot draw. Couriers add keno selectively.
As of 2026, the clearest examples of keno through a courier are in Massachusetts, which is the highest-volume keno state in the country. Jackpocket added Massachusetts Lottery Keno to its app in 2024, and Lotto.com launched keno in Massachusetts in 2026 as the first state on its platform to get the game. On apps that offer it, a keno order typically lets you pick your spots, choose a wager, add a quick pick, and buy multiple consecutive games at once, the same options you would have at a retailer counter.
Beyond Massachusetts, keno support through couriers is limited and not something we can confirm state by state, because it changes as couriers expand. If you want to play keno remotely, the practical step is to open the courier's app in your state and check whether keno appears in the list of available games. If it does not, keno is not currently offered there, and your options are to play at a licensed retailer or, where available, through your state lottery's own official online platform rather than a courier.
Bottom line on courier keno: Not every courier sells keno, and where it is offered it tends to be concentrated in keno-heavy states like Massachusetts. Treat any "buy keno online" claim as state-specific and verify it in the app before you count on it.
How Lottery Couriers Work, Step by Step
The mechanics are similar across the major real-ticket couriers.
Sign Up and Verify
You create an account and verify your age and that you are physically inside a state where the courier operates. Location checks are strict and typically block VPNs, because tickets must be bought in-state.
Add Funds and Order
You deposit money, choose your game and numbers (or a quick pick), and place the order. For keno that means selecting your spots, wager, and how many games to play.
A Rep Buys the Ticket
A courier representative purchases the official ticket from a licensed retailer inside the state. This is why couriers need staff and a physical presence in every state they serve.
Your Ticket Is Scanned and Stored
The courier scans the physical ticket and uploads the image to your account, then keeps the original until the draw resolves. You can view the scan in the app as proof of purchase.
Wins Are Handled for You
After the draw, the courier checks your ticket. Smaller prizes are usually credited to your account automatically. Large prizes above a set threshold generally must be claimed in person at the lottery, with the courier handing over the physical ticket.
Which States Do Couriers Operate In?
State availability is the part that changes most often, so treat any list as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. Couriers expand into new states, and they also get suspended or banned in others, sometimes with little notice.
Broadly, Jackpocket has historically operated in the largest number of jurisdictions (more than a dozen states plus Puerto Rico), with Lotto.com, Jackpot.com, theLotter, and Mido Lotto each covering smaller and partly overlapping sets of states. Common courier states have included Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Oregon, among others. Because this shifts, the only reliable check is to open the app and see whether it activates in your location.
Are Lottery Couriers Legal?
There is no single national answer. Courier legality is a state-by-state patchwork that is actively changing.
- States that license couriers. A small number of states have written rules that allow and regulate couriers. New Jersey and New York both have formal courier licensing regimes, with requirements such as age verification, in-state purchasing, responsible-gambling safeguards, and audits.
- States with no specific law. Most states have neither authorized nor banned couriers. They operate in a legal grey area, structured to act as a buyer's agent rather than a seller of tickets.
- States moving to ban couriers. Some states have pushed back. Texas declared courier services not legal under state law and moved to ban them in 2025 amid a high-profile dispute, and other states have shut down or restricted specific operators.
A separate legal point is the difference between real-ticket couriers and offshore "lottery betting" sites. Real couriers buy you an official ticket, so a win is a real lottery prize. Offshore betting sites instead take a wager on the result of a draw without buying a ticket, and these are generally considered illegal for US players. Selling actual lottery tickets across state lines is also illegal under federal law, which is why couriers must buy in the same state where you are located.
What Do Couriers Charge?
Couriers make money by adding a service or convenience fee on top of the ticket price, usually charged on your deposit or per order rather than taken from your winnings. Reported fees vary widely, from around 7 percent on the lower end to roughly 30 percent on some services, and they differ by courier and by state. None of the major couriers charge a recurring subscription, and they generally do not take a percentage of what you win. Because the exact fee depends on where you are and what you are buying, the figure shown at checkout is the number that matters.
Pros and Cons vs. Buying at a Retailer
Using a courier is a trade-off between convenience and cost, with some added considerations around trust and claiming prizes.
| Potential upsides | Potential downsides |
|---|---|
| Order from your phone without visiting a store | Service fees add to the cost of every ticket |
| The courier holds the ticket, so it cannot be lost or misplaced | You must be in-state and of legal age, and VPNs are blocked |
| You get a scanned copy and a digital record of every order | Large jackpots and big prizes must be claimed in person |
| Wins are checked for you, and small prizes are auto-credited | Couriers can be banned or suspended in a state with little notice |
| You can often buy many consecutive games in one order | You rely on a third party, and disputes can be harder to resolve |
If your main goal is to play keno specifically, remember that retail and, in some states, the official state-run online lottery are still the most universally available ways to play. Couriers add a layer of convenience and a layer of cost, and whether keno is even on the menu depends entirely on your state and the courier you choose.
Find Keno in Your State
Whether or not a courier serves you, our state guides cover where keno is played, how the draws work, and where to find live results.
Browse State Keno Guides