Today, Jackpot.com, the online platform and app that allows individuals to safely and securely order official state lottery tickets and scratchers from their mobile phone and other devices, announced its launch in Colorado. On the heels of the Colorado Lottery’s 40th anniversary last year, the Centennial State will feature both draw games and Scratchers (digital scratch off games).

With Jackpot.com, Colorado players can instantly buy tickets for nationwide games such as Mega Millions and Powerball, as well as their favorite state lottery games, including Cash 5, Pick 3, Lucky 4 Life, and more. The innovative platform purchases tickets on behalf of its customers from an official state lottery retailer, displaying a scan of their ticket and transferring winnings under $600 in real-time to their account. For prizes greater than $600, Jackpot.com securely delivers the ticket to the winning player so they can collect the winnings from the Colorado Lottery.

“At Jackpot.com, we remain committed to growing the safe and secure access to the lottery across the country and we could not be more excited to add Colorado as our seventh state,” said Jackpot.com CEO and co-founder, Akshay Khanna. “Last year, the Colorado Lottery reached $4 billion in proceeds and they give back millions of dollars each year to state parks, schools, and various projects. They’re also notably invested in responsible gaming, which has been a staple at Jackpot.com since its inception. We can’t wait to become part of the Colorado community and provide an accessible and reliable lottery experience for players.”

Not only will Colorado residents have access to their favorite state lottery games, they’ll also have access to Scratchers – the digital scratch ticket offering focused on expediting the convenience and the processing times of scratch-off games. Jackpot.com will launch with five of the most popular scratchers in Colorado, including $3,000,000 Supreme, Casino Ca$h Chips, $250,000 ORO, and more. Customers simply have to “scratch” their device screen with their finger or mouse to reveal their scanned ticket and potential winnings. Jackpot.com delivers the industry’s fastest online lottery scratch card experience after undergoing a comprehensive business process review by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), which ensures its method for ordering and processing lottery scratch tickets is accurate and functions as expected for both Jackpot.com and the player.

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This year marks the Colorado Lottery’s fourth consecutive year generating a new sales record, amassing over $900 million in revenue. This year’s success translates to more than $196 million in funds allocated to beneficiaries throughout the state. Since its first ticket sale in 1983, the Lottery has allocated over $4.2 billion to good causes across the state.

Jackpot.com has continued to raise the bar for responsible gaming through the integration of modern conveniences and safety guardrails, one of the key distinctive features of digital lottery platforms. The company has significantly invested in responsible gaming protections by allowing customers to set spend limits, setting default limits on daily deposits, providing access to local and national responsible gambling resources, self-exclusion, self-suspension and automated notifications that offer help should problematic behavior be detected. Jackpot.com is the only lottery courier service to launch with iCap certification from the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Esports betting in the United States is a yet to be fully tapped, and with more regulatory progress the total market and opportunity in esports continues to grow.

It’s why at PandaScore, we recently acquired our first license in the lucrative American market, in the esports-friendly state of Colorado. The move is a strong signal of our ambition in the US, but it also sets out our methodology for solving the uncertainty problem that US esports betting currently suffers from.

Supplier licensing should lead the way

The unknowns about what markets and lines can be offered are a key piece of the puzzle in many jurisdictions. Uncertainty around the legislation means operators are tentative to jump in with both feet. At PandaScore, we’re helping operators navigate US esports betting regulation on a state-by-state basis, so they can make business led decisions in markets with right balance of stability and opportunity.

Except for a few states, esports betting regulation is relatively  new: there’s not a great deal of precedent to work from, and its quickly evolving nature means there’s likely more work to be done in the future. We plan to be at the forefront of making sure that esports betting works for the whole ecosystem: operators, suppliers, regulators and the betting public.

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The regulatory framework across the country may be shifting at different paces, but almost all states are going in one direction: expansion.

Esports suppliers have a duty to show operators the way and give them the tools, knowledge and expertise to make the right decision. We don’t believe in going all guns blazing, but entering markets with some certainty around esports in a considered fashion.

We can be more confident that those specific markets are built for esports, with Colorado being PandaScore’s first step for several reasons.

Why Colorado

When deciding which market to enter, we consulted heavily with our customers and whittled it down to states that had the right mix of commercial opportunity, solid regulatory environment and straightforwardness in licensing.

Since regulating esports, Colorado has had a friendly framework for esports. The catalogue for regular betting includes a wide range of esports titles based on approved games and tournaments by the publisher or regulator – which follows some similarities to how traditional sports betting is structured.

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The process itself was simple and clear, with clear terms and commercials that promote investment, entrepreneurship and innovation – all key ingredients for growing new markets and ambitious organisations to build new audiences.

Colorado is the natural next step in PandaScore’s service-minded, client-first approach. There’s already a generation of bettors who are seeking out esports betting products, esports suppliers need to be the source of knowledge and expertise that helps guide and amplify the esports ambitions of their clients.

Service-minded approach, client-led growth

We bring operators into the licensing conversation from the outset, exploring the licenses most valuable to them and then leveraging our lean, efficient operating model to get it done.

We’ve proven we’re serious about the US market, and that we can get a license efficiently, so if an operator desires a specific jurisdiction, we base our decisions on the revenue potential, give them a clear, no-spin picture of the market, and put in the hard work of licensing to provide our services in the US.

Player age verification as a mandatory service

A huge part of that no-spin picture is addressing the concern and risk around player age verification in esports. Compliance is paramount for suppliers and operators alike, so knowing the requirements from state to state is essential.

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PandaScore has been offering player age verification for years and is well established on this front thanks to years of servicing jurisdictions like Australia and Sweden. We already have an API that clients use for peace of mind, and are beefing it up as a standalone service intended to support regulators and governing bodies to ensure compliance, confidence and growth.

Suppliers need to lead from the front for US esports betting to succeed. It’s not just about having the best product – they need to be an expert on relevant regulation, genuinely serve the expansion interests of clients and be a truly safe pair of hands that actively supports and serves operators, bettors and regulators alike.

Author: Oliver Niner, Head of Sales at PandaScore.

Launch provides sports bettors with exciting new content and raises horse racing awareness

SIS Content Services, part of Sports Information Services (SIS) Group, the leading content supplier of 24/7 live betting services, has agreed a landmark deal with long-time operator partner Bet365 to deliver its global horse racing content to bettors in Colorado, bringing fixed-odds horse racing wagering to a licensed sports betting platform for the first time in the United States.

The approval of horse racing fixed-odds wagering on Colorado sportsbooks will aid the sport attracting a wider range of casual bettors, who will be offered the same type of betting as all other sports. It represents positive news for a range of Colorado stakeholders including Bally’s Arapahoe Park and the Colorado Horsemen’s Association as a portion of turnover is directed to Colorado horse racing.

Boasting round-the-clock betting opportunities, SIS Group provides a comprehensive horse racing portfolio of nearly 140 international and domestic racetracks. The upcoming highlights include the Saudi Cup Day on February 24 where top American horses will compete for US$33.5 million in purses and then travel to the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30th to vie for US$30.5 million in purses. Along with coverage of the world’s richest horse races, year-round racing is available from 14 countries including Ireland, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and the United States.

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SIS Group delivers sportsbooks an end-to-end horse racing solution including live-streamed video with betting triggers, race day data and an extensive range of markets and odds prices to provide seamless betting experiences.

“The launch of fixed-odds horse racing betting on Colorado sportsbooks puts horse racing on equal footing with other sports and hopefully attracts a new fan base and revenue for our racetrack partners,” the Vice-President for SIS Content Services, Michele Fischer, said. “This is a great first step in expanding the horse racing audience and I commend the Colorado horse racing stakeholders, Colorado Division of Gaming and Bet365 for their vision and support. Horse racing provides sportsbooks with exciting year-round 24/7 content throughout the world. It will take time in the United States but I expect that more sports wagering operators and states will include horse racing on their sports catalogs.”

“We are thrilled to be able to put horse racing on Colorado sportsbooks for fixed-odds wagering,” the Operations and Racing Executive Director for Bally’s Arapahoe Park, Shannon Ruston, said. “Working with SIS Group, we crafted a commercial framework that benefits local racing while giving sportsbooks access to thousands of races. Our belief is that this development will secure a better future not only for Bally’s Arapahoe Park but also for the racing ecosystem as a whole in Colorado.”

“We are committed to ensuring that horse racing in Colorado is economically viable for the participating owners and trainers, who are the backbone of the sport,” the President of the Colorado Horsemen’s Association, Kim Oliver, said. “Fixed-odds betting will produce a new revenue stream and exposure for horse racing. This launch represents a pivotal moment for our group.”

“The introduction of fixed-odds horse racing betting is sure to have a positive impact in Colorado,” read a statement from Bet365. “We have seen the popularity of fixed-odds betting in horse racing in other markets and, as sports betting becomes more ingrained across the United States, it will certainly provide a boost to engagement.”

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