Texas Lottery: Ken Paxton announces investigation into alleged rigging of lottery
Another Texas Lottery investigation
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he has launched an investigation into the suspicious and alleged rigging of the lottery.
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he has launched an investigation into the suspicious and alleged rigging of the lottery.
The deep dive aims to determine whether any state or federal laws were violated.
However, he is not the only one trying to scratch off the truth behind these lucrative jackpots.
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- Texas Lottery fallout: Jackpocket suspends operations in Texas
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- Texas Lottery moves to ban courier services after controversial win
Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to conduct an investigation. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick posted on X that he is pleased with the governor’s decision, but feels the investigation needs to be broadened after the senate committee hearing on Monday.
Investigations into the Texas Lottery
TX Lottery Commission cracks down on couriers
Popular lottery app Jackpocket has stopped operating in Texas amid controversy and investigations into the Texas Lottery.
The backstory:
Lt. Governor Patrick wants to extend the search to include ticket purchases from 2016. However, lottery couriers did not start operating legally in Texas until 2019.
The Texas Lottery Commission stated they have already investigated specific winning tickets bought online. But now, they are expanding their analysis to include all lotto couriers in the state.
What are lottery couriers?
Dig deeper:
Lawmakers investigating Texas Lottery
Both law enforcement and Texas lawmakers are investigating a possible rigging of the Texas Lottery. It is being scrutinized due to suspicious circumstances surrounding recent multi-million dollar jackpot winning tickets being purchased through courier systems
Lottery couriers are companies that take lottery ticket orders from customers online or on an app.
The courier then buys lottery tickets from a licensed lottery retailer.
The courier then sends a scanned image of the ticket to the customer and holds onto the ticket until it is determined to be a winner or non-winner.
The services charge a fee to customers to purchase and manage their tickets.
The couriers and retailers that sell the tickets are often in the same building or office.
Lawmakers are looking into two major courier wins
Texas Lottery Commission under investigation
The Texas Lottery Commission is under investigation. Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to look into whether the agency and the lottery game have been compromised.
Big picture view:
TLC Executive Director Ryan Mindell said there have been even more attempts to rig games. The latest case they are looking into was the $83.5 million winning ticket purchased at Winner’s Corner on Rockwood Lane in North Austin.
The other courier-related case happened in April 2023, when Rook Tx LP of New Jersey reportedly claimed a $95 million prize.
This allegedly involved the bulk purchase of tickets with nearly every possible number combination entered to ensure they scored the massive jackpot. There were more than 25 million entries on three different sites. A lawsuit has been filed for that draw.
What they're saying:
State Rep. Brian Harrison made it clear he wants to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission. He said, regardless of whether you support or oppose gambling in Texas, we should all agree the government should not be the biggest bookie in the state.
State Rep. Nicole Collier noted the lottery has raised billions of dollars for education and voiced concerns about the controversy resulting in the lottery being shut down.
What's next:
The Texas Lottery Commission is up for sunset this legislative session.
Currently, the odds seem stacked against them, but it all depends on what investigators uncover.
The Source: Information from Texas Lottery Commission hearing, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and previous coverage