Play at the Pump Lottery Pilot Program Begins in New Mexico

SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico convenience store retailers can now offer customers the ability to purchase Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets at the pump. Linq3 inked a partnership with the New Mexico Lottery that implements the company’s Play at the Pump technology to purchase lottery tickets at the forecourt in the time it takes to fill up a gas tank.

As CSNews Online previously reported, California, Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania already offer Play at the Pump, with Murphy USA Inc. and Rapid Roberts Inc. among the c-store chains offering this service. In fact, Murphy USA told CSNews Online that sales at the pump lifted its overall lottery sales significantly since incorporating the technology.

Ron Brown, owner of Latitudes Gas in Rio Rancho, N.M., is one c-store retailer who has already implemented Play at the Pump in the Land of Enchantment. "We are excited to reach a segment of customers we have never sold lottery to before,” he said.

Daniel Cage, Linq3 president and founder added: "Each time a new partnership is secured, it’s a victory for the c-store retailer and their customers. From age verification to redeeming low-tier winnings directly back to the consumer’s debit card, retailers automate it all directly from the fuel pump. Playing Powerball or Mega Millions has never been easier.”

Linq3’s Play at the Pump is integrated in both Gilbarco’s Passport and Verifone’s Commander gas pump point-of-sale forecourt controller systems, with NCR’s RPOS to be added by the end of 2016. These three systems support 95 percent of the U.S. gas retail sector, according to Linq3.

“The world is changing and lottery players have told us they want more convenient ways to buy our jackpot games,” said David Barden, CEO of New Mexico Lottery. “We look forward to seeing how it works and the benefits it brings players through improved accessibility.”