Texas Lottery Commission Told To Hold $83.5M Jackpot Won By Woman In February
(Texas Scorecard) – A state judge in Travis County has ordered that Texas Lottery commissioners must hold on to an $83.5 million jackpot won by a woman in February that has not yet been paid out.
Earlier this week, District Judge Aurora Martinez Jones ruled that the jackpot could not be 'diminished, wasted, or paid to another' by Sergio Rey, in his official capacity as acting executive director for the TLC.
Jones' temporary restraining order only lasted for three days, but a June 5 hearing resulted in Judge Jan Soifer ordering an extension of the enjoinments until June 10.
On June 10, the court will reconvene to discuss a longer temporary injunction to protect the jackpot throughout the litigation period.
The jackpot, won by a woman who purchased a $20 ticket through the ticket reseller service Jackpocket, has not been dispersed due to an investigation into the controversial win ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Jones found that the jackpot could be at risk of being lost when Senate Bill 3070 becomes law, posing 'irreparable' and 'imminent' harm to the winner.
The measure, expected to be signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, would abolish the TLC and transfer oversight of the Texas Lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
It would also ban ticket resellers like Jackpocket. Resellers, also known as couriers, allow customers to play the lottery online through an intermediary who buys the ticket at a brick-and-mortar store on their behalf.
The practice has been at the center of the controversy surrounding the $83.5 million winning ticket in February, which was purchased at a retailer owned by Jackpocket.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick published a video at the retailer following news of the win, noting that it could be an example of 'bulk purchasing'—or buying up a significant portion of combinations to have a higher chance of winning the lottery.
Shortly after Patrick's exposé and the federal indictment of a Russian businessman with ties to the lottery, Abbott called for a limited investigation by the Texas Rangers. That investigation, later expanded to include all lottery operations, halted the winnings from being dispersed.
In late May, an anonymous woman claiming to be the rightful winner of the February jackpot filed a petition seeking to retrieve the money. She claimed that even with concerns over how the ticket was procured, commissioners had 'determined that Plaintiff was the lawful bearer of the winning ticket.'
Her attorney, Randy Howry, told KXAN-TV he believes the TRO protecting the winnings until June 10 would also apply to the new agency overseeing the lottery if Abbott signs SB 3070 into law.
Notably, according to KXAN-TV, the Texas Rangers have not contacted either the anonymous winner of the $83.5 million jackpot or her attorney.
On June 17 at 9:00 a.m., the court will meet at the request of Rey's legal team to discuss whether the court has the authority to hear the case in the first place.
The February jackpot is just one of two controversial, high-profile wins connected to ticket resellers that have spawned statewide investigations and legal battles.
Plaintiffs in another lawsuit allege that four lottery retailers, including a ticket reseller, conspired to work with a sports gambling company to bulk purchase a $95 million jackpot in April 2023.
Abbott's investigation also covers that win.
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