Illinois Bill Would Authorize Lottery Retailers To Partner With Couriers

A bill in the Illinois Legislature would allow lottery retailers in the state to formally partner with courier services, such as Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, and Lotto.com.

Senate Bill 2035 was introduced by state Sen. Celina Villanueva in February. It’s bounced around committees since then — first the Executive Committee, then the Gaming, Wagering, and Racing Committee, and now the Assignments Committee, as it awaits its next destination.

“Senate Bill 2035 is about meeting people where they are,” Villanueva, a Democrat representing the 12th district in Chicago, told Lottery Geeks. “By giving licensed retailers the ability to work with trusted partners, we’re expanding access to the lottery in a way that’s safe, equitable, and responsive to how consumers live and play today.”

What the bill says

SB2035 never explicitly mentions lottery couriers.

Instead, the bill allows retailers to partner with a “third-party entity to assist with processing the sale of lottery tickets on behalf of the licensed lottery sales agent.”

The bill says the third-party-facilitated lottery tickets may only be sold “to a person physically located” in Illinois, and that “the third-party entity shall adhere to all rules established by the [Lottery Control] Board related to the sale of lottery ticket.”

(It also forbids the third-party entity from sharing or selling customer data with anyone not affiliated with the third party or the licensed retailer it’s partnered with.)

The bill establishes a framework that mirrors how other states manage licensed lottery couriers, especially in mandating adherence to Lottery Control Board regulations and safeguarding customer information.

However, SB2035 stops short of introducing a separate licensing tier with its own web of regulation for couriers. Instead, by tying third-party entities (or couriers) to the existing retail agents, those entities will fall under the current regulation governing lottery retailers.

In a nutshell, the bill’s goal is to expand online and mobile options for lottery services, while ensuring consumer protection and upholding the system’s credibility. The bill has not yet received a fiscal impact analysis.

Online lottery plus couriers?

Illinois already offers an online lottery platform, which it launched in March 2012. At the time, it was the first online lottery in the country.

Today, the Illinois Lottery lets players purchase tickets online for in-state and multi-state draw games, such as Powerball and Mega Millions, as well as e-instant games with mechanics similar to those of online slot machines.

This is important to note, as couriers are most often found in states where there is no online lottery. Couriers can be seen as partially redundant to an online lottery, as both platforms allow players to purchase lottery tickets from their phones or computers.

There are no couriers currently operating in Illinois.

How couriers may fit in Illinois’ market

When ordering through a courier for draw games, you choose your numbers and the amount of tickets. Then a courier agent goes to a retailer and purchases the tickets on your behalf. As a result, it’s a mixed bag as to whether retailers support or oppose couriers.

Couriers may expand the retailer’s revenue base. Customers who might never drive to a retailer to buy a lottery ticket may use a courier, whose agent would then buy the tickets in-person at the retailer.

Or, couriers may shrink a retailer’s revenue potential. Often, customers who go to convenience stores to buy lottery tickets also purchase other items, such as drinks or snacks. If those customers no longer need to buy tickets at the store, they no longer buy the snacks or drinks there either.

(Of course, this argument is also used to oppose online lotteries, and Illinois clearly felt fine launching one of those.)

What other states are doing with couriers

As lottery couriers have joined sweepstakes casinos and sports prediction markets in the gambling industry spotlight in 2025, states are taking varying approaches.

• Indiana: In early April, Indiana passed a bill that barred couriers from operating in the state — with a caveat that lawmakers can revisit the topic if and when they revisit the topic of an online lottery.
• Connecticut: Senate Bill 1235, which would ban both online sweepstakes gaming and couriers in Connecticut, has passed through two committees by a combined unanimous vote of 59-0. Up next is a fiscal review on May 5.
• Texas: On Tuesday, the Texas Lottery Commission voted unanimously to ban couriers in the state. It’s an immediate ban, and retailers who work with couriers in Texas will have their license revoked.
• Florida: Senate Bill 753 would authorize the Department of the Lottery to act as its own courier in addition to contracting with third parties (sound familiar?) to offer courier services in Florida. It hasn’t seen any action since its first reading in early March.
• South Carolina: Senate Bill 169 would prohibit lottery couriers in South Carolina, among many other aspects of the bill (including allowing debit cards for lottery purchases). It passed through the Senate Committee on Education in February but hasn’t moved since.