New Jersey governor signs lottery courier legislation

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reportedly signed legislation last week authorising and regulating lottery couriers.

The “first-in-the-nation” law will allow a licensed intermediary (courier) to offer the sale of lottery tickets via the internet. The courier undertakes to safe guard the winning lottery ticket until the rightful ticket holder can collect it.

Under the law, licensed intermediary’s are “required to safeguard personal information including credit card numbers and to carry language warning that firms not registered with the state pose a fraud risk,” Associated Press (AP) reports.

According to AP, Malta-based Lotter Enterprises, and subsidiary Locallotto Inc. successfully lobbied for the passage of the bill which takes effect November 1, 2017.

In 2015, the company successfully assisted an Iraqi man claim $6.4 million from a winning Oregon Megabucks Jackpot ticket he purchased online using their services. Oregon Lottery officials deemed the purchase legal because the man lived abroad, despite Federal legislative hurdles.

Founder and director of Lotter Enterprises, Marcel Klugman, told AP, the company chose New Jersey to lobby for the passage of a Lottery Services Courier bill because of its liberal attitude to online gambling.

The company hopes to lobby other states to pass similar legislation.