A woman in Texas has filed a lawsuit against the state’s lottery for not paying out her $83.5 million winning ticket purchased through a courier.
The woman, named only as Jane Doe in court documents, purchased the ticket through Jackpocket, a US lottery courier service that bought the ticket from Winners Corner. The ticket was purchased on February 17 this year, long before Texas passed a bill to ban lottery courier services.
“In Texas, a deal is a deal, unless you are the Texas Lottery,” reads the complaint. “Every Texan knows what that should mean when it comes to the lottery—if you win, you should get paid. When you win, the lottery should pay you—not stall, not waffle, not hem, not haw, not try and change the rules and not try to back out of the deal.”
“Lotteries with integrity pay the winners,” continues the complaint. “Responsible lotteries pay the winners. Anything short of that destroys the integrity of the lottery and shatters the confidence of those who play it. It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to get paid.”
Lawsuit filed against TLC director
The lawsuit was filed against Acting Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission Sergio Rey, who took over from Ryan Mindell after he resigned amid a courier scandal.
An investigation by the Houston Chronicle found that a group of investors had been using couriers to purchase huge amounts of tickets that guaranteed winnings. Mindell resigned over the allegations, and his predecessor, Gary Grief, has also been implicated in the scandal.
A Texas Senator called for the abolishment of the state’s lottery earlier this month, calling it an “illegal organized crime” operation. Speaking to the Senate Committee on State Affairs, Sen. Bob Hall said, “I strongly believe that the only legislative change that would have a meaningful impact and eliminate the culture of corruption of the organized crime center embedded in the Texas government is legislation that completely and permanently abolishes the Texas Lottery Commission.”
Legislation changing the lottery
Hall introduced SB1988, which proposes the abolishment. Meanwhile, another bill was passed in the Texas House this week, which will transfer control of the lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. SB3070 also bans couriers and the bulk purchasing of tickets to avoid a repeat of the scandal from 2023.
The piece of legislation will now head back to the Senate for approval following amendments by the House. If the amendments are approved by the Senate, the bill will head to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for his signature.
Abbott recently ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate controversial lottery jackpots, including the $83.5 million win, emphasizing the need for integrity in the lottery system.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
