NJGCA Statement on Internet Lottery Ticket Sales  

The New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store, Automotive Association, which represents small businesses across the state who sell lottery tickets, opposes the Lottery Commission’s vote earlier today to move forward with their proposed regulation granting themselves the ability to sell lottery tickets over the Internet, without the involvement of a retailer.

“I just can’t imagine that this won’t take business that would have otherwise been in neighborhood stores, whether that’s irregular players jumping in on a jackpot now doing it on their phone, or regular players making a portion of their purchases online” said Eric Blomgren, NJGCA Chief Administrator and Director of Government Affairs.

If there is a large market only captured by the availability of internet sales, shouldn’t they already be satisfied by the existing lottery courier companies?

Ultimately, the State selling lottery tickets directly to the consumer through the internet puts physical retail stores in competition with the very government entity that is their supplier, distributor, and chief advertiser.

We also thank those legislators who have already stood up against this plan, especially grateful to Monmouth County Senator Vin Gopal for his continued strong advocacy for small businesses on this issue and we look forward to working with him and others on a bipartisan effort to protect small retailers.

The New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA) is a nonprofit trade association that represents nearly one thousand independent small businesses in the motor fuel retail, convenience store, and auto repair industries statewide. 

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