A New WV Lotto Website and E-Instant Tickets Emerge
West Virginia joins almost a dozen other states in offering online lottery tickets through the iPLAY app and the state lottery’s website, allowing easy access to popular games like Mega Millions and Powerball. They are also fine-tuning a new loyalty program called PlayON.
West Virginia launches a new digital scratch-off game. © Alejandro Garay, Unsplash
No Need to Go to a Physical Premise
The West Virginia Lottery announced that as of October 31st, all in-state players would have access to buy lottery tickets online. Current purchase options include Visa or direct debit methods and will include not only West Virginia Lottery products but also the very popular Powerball and Mega Millions games.
The West Virginia Lottery has partnered with NeoPollard Interactive(NPI) to offer not only access to traditional lottery tickets but also the ability to play E-Instant tickets on your phone. You will also find a brand new website with which you can check winning tickets, see drawing times, and access other West Virginia lottery news.
The I-lottery program allows players to participate completely from the comfort of their homes and adds a level of convenience for those who like to play. We are happy to also introduce our new loyalty program and are thrilled to be the first state to unveil iLottery, a new loyalty program, and brand-new website, all concurrently.– John Myers, West Virginia Lottery Director, WV Lottery Press Release
You can purchase your tickets and play the instant scratch-off games through an iPLAY app developed by NPI. This app allows you to set up both weekly deposit limits and self-exclusion options to ensure that all West Virginians can enjoy this expanded version of the lottery safely. You will also find many of NPI’s traditional online lotto game offerings here, like Queen of Diamonds and Underwater Treasure.
NPI Will Also Roll Out PlayON- a New WV Loyalty Program
PlayON allows you to earn points for every lottery purchase, whether made online or with a retail partner. You will also be entered into a pool to win second chance drawings or receive prizes, as well as use your points for other impressive rewards.
With projected online lottery sales, in US states that have them, expected to grow from $4.4 billion to $5.9 billion by 2029, digital options are seen as a promising new way to expand both reach and revenue.
While West Virginia Lottery E instant tickets and online scratch-offs will need to compete with a robust iGaming market and traditional lottery products, states like Michigan and Pennsylvania have seen phenomenal growth.
The Michigan lottery site has over 2.2 million users, and Zach Stigler, the Michigan Director of Digital Gaming Operations, estimates that this is about 50% of the total addressable market in Michigan for all gamblers. He also points out that more than one million players play the i-lottery products.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, online lottery ticket sales topped one billion dollars in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. So, certainly, West Virginia is well positioned to see higher lottery sales as it rolls out its new loyalty program and its new online lottery venture.
While online casinos seem to have run into a stone wall in attempting to grow beyond the seven states where they are already legal, online lottery ticket sales are increasingly being eyed by other states. They are viewed as a quick fix to budget deficits without the need for expanded gaming legislation that can often bog down in years-long legal battles.
As more states consider online lottery sales to boost revenue, West Virginia’s innovative approach with iPLAY and PlayON could set a model for future digital lotteries nationwide.
