Texas Lottery could go away amid fraud allegations, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says

AUSTIN, Texas - In an exclusive interview, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sat down with FOX 7 Austin about the suspicion surrounding the Texas Lottery Commission. 

The winning lottery ticket was purchased on Monday at Winner's Corner on Rockwood Lane in North Austin. 

The active lawsuit against the Texas Lottery has caused people to lose trust in the system's integrity. 

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Lottery winner in Austin

What we know:

The lucky winner matched all six numbers in Monday's Lotto Texas drawing; 19, 21, 25, 45, 47, 52. 

The winning ticket was sold at the Winners Corner TX LLC store on Rockwood Lane.

The winner picked their own numbers and chose the cash option.

The estimated $83.5 million jackpot was the fifth-largest in the history of Lotto Texas.

"The customer that won is extremely excited," said Peter Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Lottery at DraftKings. "They are currently remaining anonymous. However, we can confirm that they spent $20 the night of winning the Texas lottery. So I believe that was 10 games at $2 a pop." 

Are Lottery couriers legal in Texas?

What they're saying:

"I think there is a misconception that Jackpotet, as a courier, is buying all these tickets to try to win itself," said Peter Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Lottery at DraftKings. "No, we are buying them on behalf of customers that have been age and geo-verified and are playing the games on an individual basis, not a bulk purchase basis." 

DraftKings and Jackpot are not associated with the lawsuit. 

The Texas Lottery Commission's former Executive Director, Rook Tx LP, IGT Solutions Corporation, and Lottery.com are being accused of manipulating the outcome of lotto games, committing fraud, and laundering money through these courier stores. 

A courier store just so happened to be the service through which the $83.5 million winning ticket was purchased. 

Sullivan said they are not doing anything illegal, and their company operates by the law. 

"We are trying to create a more convenient way for customers inside the state of Texas to play the game they already know and love in a trustworthy and mobile-based manner," said Sullivan. 

Lottery couriers allow Texans to buy tickets online or through an app. Then, a courier, in this case, Jackpot, will purchase the ticket at one of these brick-and-mortar lottery retailers, like Winner's Corner. 

"Once we have received the order, we then go to a licensed retailer to purchase a paper ticket. That ticket is then scanned by Jackpocket and sent back to the customer," said Sullivan. 

Patrick questions the legality of lottery couriers

The other side:

Lt. Governor Patrick questions the ethics and legality of how these lotto courier companies work. Jackpot took over DraftKings in May 2024, and they also own Winner's Corner. 

"People when they go buy lottery tickets, they buy them at a stop and go kind of place," said Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. "The law says you have to sell multiple items. Well, this little place in Austin, they were selling board games like Monopoly or whatever." 

Patrick posted a video on X Tuesday asking the company's lawyer, "Do you not see an issue where the public might lose confidence if the courier service somehow happened at this one location in the entire state of Texas, sold an $83 million winning ticket, and they also own the location that printed the ticket?" 

The courier services have been legal in Texas since 2019, but Patrick hopes to change that in this legislative session. 

"We banned courier services last year. The bill passed 29-to-2; that's bipartisan, and it died in the House," said Patrick. "We're going to pass that same bill again." 

Patrick said it could be the end of the lottery if the bill does not pass. 

"Every 12 years, agencies are up for sunset, in various forms, so this time, the lottery happens to be up for sunset," said Patrick. "If we don't pass the sunset bill before we leave session, the lottery is out of business."

Winner's Corner has been named the top lottery retailer for years. 

"Doesn't look like your normal place, you buy lottery tickets," said Patrick. 

Dig deeper:

The most recent report showed that Winner's Corner was the number one lottery retailer in the state, with total sales in 2023. They sold more than $127 million. 

In second place, behind them by about $100 million less, was Luck Zone in Round Rock. 

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