Lottery to implement card, ATM & Apple Pay payments starting 1Q 2026

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau will soon allow the use of debit cards, ATM and Apple Pay for the purchase of its products, as part of a new electronic payment system that seeks to modernize operations and boost sales, it was reported Thursday.

The Bureau’s assistant secretary, Heidi Hernández Olivo, said the programming of the systems has already begun and that the expectation is that the new model, known as “cashless,” will go into effect during the first quarter of next year.

“This will allow people to use their debit card, ATH Móvil, or Apple Pay to play any of our Lottery products,” Hernández Olivo said during a press conference at La Fortaleza. “We project that this change will increase our sales by between two and four percent, which ultimately translates into greater contributions to entities that receive Lottery funds, such as the University of Puerto Rico scholarships, the CRIM [Municipal Revenue Collections Center), the Catastrophic Illness Fund, and the Department of Recreation and Sports.”

The official also highlighted the recent success of the “Jurassic World” instant game, which broke sales records by generating $3.6 million in a month and a half. The drawing includes a second chance, through which 50 winners have already been selected and 50 more will be chosen on Feb. 2, one of whom will travel to Hawaii to compete for a $1 million prize.

Hernández Olivo also announced that the Lottery is working on expanding its network of agents and retailers.

“Our goal is to reach 2,550 agents by the end of the fiscal year,” she said. “We currently have 2,400 electronic lottery agents and 4,000 traditional lottery vendors.”

As part of its citizen participation initiatives, the Lottery Bureau will continue its 35th anniversary commemorative activities this Friday with an event in the Naranjito public plaza. Starting at 11 a.m., attendees will enjoy artisans, food stalls, live music, and the broadcast of WIPR’s “El Mediodía” program, in addition to the live Electronic Lottery drawing.