Company Background and Trust
Trust matters when someone else is buying lottery tickets on your behalf. Both of these companies have earned it — but in different ways.
theLotter launched in 2002, making it the oldest lottery courier service still operating. Over two decades, they have purchased more than 30 million tickets and facilitated over $100 million in prize payouts. They operate as a concierge service: you select your numbers, they buy a physical ticket from an authorized retailer in the lottery's home country, scan it, and upload it to your account. They are regulated under international e-commerce and lottery laws.
Jackpocket launched as a mobile app and has grown into the most widely state-licensed lottery courier in the United States. They hold individual licenses in 15+ states — each one requiring a separate application, background check, and regulatory approval. When you buy a ticket through Jackpocket, a runner purchases it at a licensed retail location in your state. The ticket is scanned, stored securely, and linked to your account.
Both companies have strong track records with verifiable prize payouts. theLotter has the longer history. Jackpocket has the more rigorous US licensing framework. Neither has significant fraud complaints or unresolved payout issues in public review databases.
Lottery Selection: 40+ International vs. US-Focused
This is the single biggest difference between the two platforms.
theLotter offers access to 40+ lotteries worldwide. Beyond Powerball and Mega Millions, you can play EuroMillions (Europe's biggest lottery with jackpots regularly exceeding $200 million), Spain's El Gordo (the richest lottery draw in the world by total prize money), Italy's SuperEnalotto, UK National Lottery, Australia's Oz Lotto, and dozens more. If a lottery exists somewhere in the world and has a significant jackpot, theLotter probably offers it.
Jackpocket focuses exclusively on US lotteries. You get Powerball, Mega Millions, and whatever state-specific games are available in your state (Cash4Life, Lucky for Life, state Pick 3/4/5, scratch-off games in select states). The selection is deep within the US but stops at the border.
If you only care about Powerball and Mega Millions, both services offer them. If you want access to international lotteries — especially EuroMillions, which has better odds than both major US lotteries — theLotter is your only option between these two. For a detailed breakdown of US lottery odds, see our Mega Millions vs. Powerball comparison.
Pricing and Fees
Lottery couriers need to charge a fee to cover the cost of physically buying tickets, scanning them, and managing your account. Here is how the pricing compares:
theLotter: A single Powerball ticket typically costs $5-7 total (base $2 ticket + service fee). International lottery tickets are priced higher — a EuroMillions ticket might cost $6-8. However, theLotter offers significant discounts on multi-draw packages (buy 5 draws, get 1 free is a common promotion) and subscriptions. Syndicate shares can bring your per-line cost down to under $1. The minimum purchase is $5.
Jackpocket: Charges the face value of the ticket plus a service fee of roughly 7-10%. A $2 Powerball ticket costs approximately $2.15-2.20. This makes Jackpocket the cheaper option for US lottery tickets by a meaningful margin. There is no minimum purchase beyond the ticket price itself.
For US lotteries, Jackpocket is clearly cheaper per ticket. But theLotter's pricing includes their prize collection service — if you win a significant prize on an international lottery, theLotter handles the entire claim process including travel coordination and legal documentation. That service has real value and partially justifies the higher per-ticket cost.
Mobile App and User Experience
Both services offer mobile apps, but the experience is quite different.
Jackpocket was built as a mobile-first product. The app is clean, fast, and intuitive. You can buy a ticket in under 30 seconds from opening the app. Features include quick pick, saved number selections, auto-play for recurring draws, and instant push notifications when results are available. The ticket scanning is seamless — you see your actual scanned ticket in the app within minutes of purchase. The UX is comparable to any top-tier fintech app.
theLotter has a functional mobile app and a comprehensive website. The experience is solid but slightly more complex because of the sheer number of lotteries and features available. Navigating 40+ lotteries, syndicates, subscriptions, and bundles means more menus and options. The trade-off is access to far more features — syndicate management, multi-lottery subscriptions, and detailed draw result histories.
For pure ease of use on US lotteries, Jackpocket wins. For power users who want syndicates, international access, and subscription management, theLotter's more feature-rich interface is an advantage, not a drawback.
State Availability
Where you live determines which service you can actually use.
Jackpocket requires a state-level license to operate, so availability is limited to the states where they have been approved. As of March 2026, Jackpocket is licensed in 15+ states including New Jersey, New York, Texas, Ohio, Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Arkansas among others. If you are not in a licensed state, you simply cannot use the app for ticket purchases.
theLotter has broader availability for US players, particularly for international lottery purchases. Since tickets for EuroMillions or El Gordo are purchased overseas, state-level US lottery regulations do not apply to those transactions. For domestic US lottery purchases through theLotter, availability follows similar state regulations.
If Jackpocket is available in your state and you only want US lotteries, it is the more straightforward choice. If Jackpocket is not in your state yet, or you want international lottery access, theLotter fills the gap. Many serious lottery players use both — Jackpocket for cheap US tickets and theLotter for international draws.
The Verdict: Which Service Should You Use?
Choose Jackpocket if:
- You only play US lotteries (Powerball, Mega Millions, state games)
- You want the lowest per-ticket cost
- You prefer a simple, mobile-first experience
- You live in a state where Jackpocket is licensed
Choose theLotter if:
- You want access to international lotteries like EuroMillions and El Gordo
- You are interested in syndicate play for better odds
- You want a full prize collection service for international wins
- Jackpocket is not available in your state
Use both if: You want cheap US tickets through Jackpocket and international lottery access through theLotter. There is no reason to limit yourself to one service.
For a broader comparison including Jackpot.com, Lotto.com, LottoAgent, and WinTrillions, read our complete lottery courier service comparison. And if you are interested in pooling tickets with other players, our lottery syndicate guide explains how group play works. Explore all lottery services on our lottery courier comparison hub.