was in China during the Han dynasty, which is said to have helped fund the Great Wall. Later, the Roman Empire had its own lottery games. Today it is big business for most states, which protect their tax-generating institutions with a fortress of legislation, regulation, and bureaucracy. It is estimated that nearly 50% of Americans will buy a lottery ticket in a given year.
“I'm not trying to take one dollar away from the traditional retailer, and the guy that likes going to the store in the morning and buying his cup of coffee and his Pick 3 ticket; I don't want to convert him to being a customer,” says Metzger. “I want the Millennial or the Gen Zer, the customer who is completely digital native.”
Another entry in the lottery app wars is Jackpot, owned by U.K.-based 99Dynamics, which launched in the U.S. late last year. 99Dynamics is known for running what’s known as derivative lotteries, which allow gamblers overseas to bet on the outcome of the U.S. and European lottery games.