Texas Begins Lottery Oversight Transition
The early movement is notable, given that Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet signed the Legislature's proposal—Senate Bill 3070—into law.
A TLC spokesperson told Texas Scorecard, 'With the passage of Senate Bill 3070, the Texas Lottery Commission is evaluating next steps in alignment with the bill's intent to transfer regulatory authority to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. While the Commissioners under active terms remain appointed at this time, the agency is actively working on the transition.'
Texas Scorecard attempted to access the website showing information on Texas Lottery commissioners earlier this week but was unable to do so as the commissioner profiles were gone.
After reaching out and receiving a comment from the TLC spokesperson, the website was put back up. However, Commissioner Cindy Lyons Fields, previously listed among the other commissioners, was absent from the site when it returned.
In addition to changing the lottery's overseeing agency, SB 3070 includes new, strict regulations on the purchase of tickets. The measure also establishes an abbreviated sunset review period for the lottery.
The TLC, which has been in existence since 1991, has come under scrutiny over the past months after revelations of rigged jackpots, potential money laundering, and collusion between government agency employees and vendors to game the lottery for profit.
The Texas Lottery is now the subject of multiple state and federal investigations as a result.
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