Jackpot.com Adds THNDR Skill Games Across Six US States
Jackpot.com has partnered with THNDR to add real-money player-versus-player skill games to its lottery app in Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. The launch gives Jackpot.com customers access to head-to-head games and tournaments alongside its current lottery products.
According to THNDR, Jackpot.com is the first large real-money operator to add skill games to its product. Available titles include Solitaire and Blocks, with players competing directly against other users rather than against the operator.
The infrastructure behind the launch comes from THNDR, which handles player matching and game verification. The supplier’s network spans more than 25 partners across sportsbook, daily fantasy and lottery products. THNDR also reported more than 160 million completed and verified games, along with a 99.99% match-fill rate.
Its cross-operator liquidity model combines players from different partner brands, which raises the odds of a quick match. The verification system targets an equal win probability for both participants in each match, the company said. THNDR describes its game verification technology as patent-pending.
Desiree Dickerson, CEO and co-founder of THNDR, said the scale of the Jackpot.com launch could help skill gaming reach a broader real-money audience. “They chose THNDR because the network is proven: a real opponent ready whenever a player wants one, and compliance work that has already been done,” Dickerson said.
For Jackpot.com, the addition expands its product beyond lottery ticket purchases and gives customers more reasons to return between draws. Another element built into the launch is a tournament structure, with individual matches plus daily and weekly tournaments that run on a set schedule.
Dharin Nanavati, Chief Growth Officer at Jackpot.com, said the company intends to offer multiple forms of play within a single app. “The launch of skill games and tournaments is the next step in that vision,” Nanavati said.
Separately, THNDR classifies its products as skill games rather than games of chance. Dickerson also chairs the Online Skill Games Committee within the International Gaming Standards Association.
The games are available now through the Jackpot.com app on iOS and Android in all six launch states, giving players a new option alongside their lottery purchases.
💡TGJ Take
Jackpot.com uses skill games to reduce its dependence on lottery draw cycles and to create more frequent customer activity. The cross-operator model gives THNDR a practical advantage, since each new partner adds liquidity for every other brand in the network. Lottery couriers and sportsbook operators will watch retention data closely. If tournaments increase repeat visits without new casino-style regulatory exposure, more US operators could adopt the same product structure.
