Latest news with #LottoTexas'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas woman sues state lottery for $83 million winnings she says she never received
A Texas woman is suing the state lottery commission, claiming she won an $83.5 million jackpot but never received funds. Court documents filed in Montgomery County on May 19 claim that the woman, identified as Jane Doe, bought a lottery ticket on February 17 for the 'Lotto Texas' game using the courier service Jackpocket. State residents can purchase lottery tickets over the phone or online from an authorized retailer, which then purchases tickets on the customer's behalf. The third-party companies are not regulated in Texas. Only three states — New York, New Jersey and Arkansas — regulate lottery courier services. In her complaint, the woman says she bought a winning ticket through Winners Corner, a lottery retailer in Austin. On the night of her purchase, her ticket numbers were drawn for the jackpot prize of $83.5 million, the lawsuit states. She then presented her ticket to the Texas Lottery Commission on March 18. At no point did officials claim her ticket was invalid, the filings claim. But the excitement was short-lived. A week later, officials said they would be banning the purchase of lottery tickets through unregulated lottery ticket courier services 'effective immediately.' Texas Governor Greg Abbott also announced law enforcement officials could be investigating the woman's winning ticket. 'Texans must be able to trust in our state's lottery system and know that the lottery is conducted with integrity and lawfully,' the governor said in a statement in February. He directed the Texas Rangers 'to fully investigate these incidents and identify any potential wrongdoing.' The lawsuit claims the state lottery commission is 'not allowed to change the rules after the drawing' and is attempting to refuse to pay the woman's winning amount by implementing a retroactive ban. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell resigned in April amid a flurry of investigations. 'The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,' he said in a statement at the time. Interim executive director Sergio Rey is named in the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the commission told NBC News that the lawsuit is 'being reviewed under the Commission's claim validation requirements and is the subject of external investigation.' 'The agency does not have additional information to provide, as it does not comment on pending litigation and investigations,' the spokesperson added. The Independent has requested additional comment from the agency.
NBC News
25-05-2025
- Business
- NBC News
Texas woman sues state lottery commission for unpaid $83 million jackpot
A woman in Texas is accusing the state's lottery commission of withholding an $83.5 million jackpot three months after the numbers on her ticket matched the winning numbers in a drawing, according to a new lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed on May 19, says the Montgomery County woman identified as Jane Doe purchased a lottery ticket on the night of Feb. 17 for the 'Lotto Texas' game using the courier service Jackpocket. The third-party service allows Texans to purchase lottery tickets online from authorized retailers on the customer's behalf. Lottery ticket courier companies are unregulated in Texas. They function by taking lottery ticket orders from players over the phone or online, buying the agreed-upon tickets from licensed lottery retailers and charging fees for purchasing and managing tickets. Doe's suit says her winning ticket was obtained on her behalf from Winners Corner, a licensed lotto retailer in Austin. The same night of her purchase, her ticket's numbers were drawn for the jackpot prize of $83.5 million, according to the lawsuit. One week later, the Texas Lottery announced it would be banning the unregulated lottery ticket courier services 'effective immediately.' Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also announced the state would be investigating the win. 'The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,' former Executive Director Ryan Mindell said in the announcement. Mindell resigned in April amid ongoing investigations, and Sergio Rey — who is named in the lawsuit — is now serving as the interim executive director. A November report from the Texas House found only three states — New York, New Jersey and Arkansas — regulate courier services. The lawsuit states the commission is 'not allowed to change the rules after the drawing' and is attempting to refuse to pay Doe's winning amount through a retroactive ban. Doe alleges she presented her ticket to the Texas Lottery Commission on March 18 and was not advised that it was invalid in any way. 'The claim is being reviewed under the Commission's claim validation requirements and is the subject of external investigation,' a spokesperson for the commission told NBC News. 'The agency does not have additional information to provide, as it does not comment on pending litigation and investigations.'
New York Post
24-05-2025
- New York Post
Texas lottery player sues after she hasn't received $83.5M jackpot — 3 months after massive win
A Texas lottery winner claimed she's being denied her $83.5 million jackpot prize because she 'lawfully' purchased the winning ticket online through a third-party courier. The unidentified woman filed the complaint against Texas's gaming board on Wednesday after she waited three months to receive her winnings from the Feb. 17 'Lotto Texas' drawing. The mysterious player alleged that she used the Jackpocket Lottery app to purchase $20 worth of tickets from a licensed retailer in North Austin, KVUE reported. Advertisement 3 The Winners Corner outlet, where the winning Feb. 17 lottery ticket was purchased by the woman through the courier in North Austin, Texas. KVUE The win was highlighted by the state lottery website, touting that only one ticket had matched the six winning numbers: 19, 21, 25, 45, 47, 52. The woman went to cash in her prize from the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) on March 18 — but has yet to receive her massive payout. Advertisement 'I'm being treated as the bad guy,' the woman told Nexstar Media Group after presenting her winning ticket. 'Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don't think mine is one of them.' The woman alleges her ticket went through the proper validation procedures by the commission, which concluded she was the rightful owner of the jackpot-winning numbers. 'At no time has Sergio Rey or the Commission or anyone purporting to act on the Commission's behalf advised (the woman) that the winning ticket is invalid, inauthentic, obtained by fraud, has an illicit chain of custody, or that any other unlawful conduct was involved in (the woman's) procurement of the winning ticket,' reads the May 21 lawsuit obtained by USA Today. 3 The woman alleges her ticket went through the proper validation procedures by the commission, which concluded she was the rightful owner of the jackpot-winning numbers. KVUE Advertisement Third-party services have been a hot topic in the Lone Star State in recent years as lawmakers and lottery officials have opened up investigations into the legitimacy of the online services. The Texas Lottery Commission proposed a ban on couriers from state lottery drawings citing unfairness and integrity concerns regarding the use of the online apps. 'Couriers are unregulated companies that take lottery ticket orders from customers online. Upon receipt of funds from a customer, the courier purchases lottery tickets from a licensed lottery retailer with whom the courier has a private business arrangement,' the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) said on Feb. 24, a week after the drawing. Advertisement The commission stated its concern that most couriers and the licensed retailers it uses are based in the same location. Jockpocket is owned by sports betting company DraftKings. Because of the rule change, the lottery commission 'refuse to pay (the woman) her lottery winnings' because her method of play was deemed 'illegal,' the suit claims. 'They are simply stonewalling the winner, stalling and not being responsible or acting with any integrity,' the woman's lawyers said in the complaint. Recently resigned lottery executive director Ryan Mindell said the reason for the ban was to protect the players who still purchase tickets directly from licensed retailers. 'The Texas Lottery was established to provide a secure and transparent system for players to purchase tickets in person from licensed brick-and-mortar retailers for the purpose of generating revenue for public education and veterans' services in a responsible manner,' Mindell said. 'Lottery courier services operating in Texas have been a significant concern for many of our stakeholders,' he added. 3 The Texas Lottery banned players from using couriers in state lottery drawings in an unanimous vote on April 29, 2025. KVUE Advertisement Mindell resigned from his post on April 21, as the commission was the focus of multiple investigations from the state attorney general's office. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate the Feb. 17 drawing and a controversial jackpot win from 2023, hours after the commission's Feb. 24 proposal. The 67-year-old Republican also called for an investigation into an April 2023 lottery drawing where a consortium of European players purchased 25.8 million tickets to win the $95 million jackpot. The Texas Lottery Commission unanimously voted to ban couriers from selling lottery tickets on April 29.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- USA Today
Woman sues Texas Lottery for not receiving massive prize months after win
Woman sues Texas Lottery for not receiving massive prize months after win 'In Texas, a deal is a deal, unless you are the Texas Lottery," the lawsuit states. Show Caption Hide Caption Texas Lottery executive director resigns Texas Lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindell's resignation comes after questions about the legitimacy of the Texas Lottery earlier this year. Fox - 7 Austin A Texas lottery player is pursuing legal action against state officials, alleging she hasn't received her multi-million-dollar prize months after winning. The unnamed woman is suing Sergio Rey, the acting deputy executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission. In the lawsuit filed on May 21 and obtained by USA TODAY, she claims she was not paid "as the rightful and undisputed winner" of a $83.5 million prize. The woman initially purchased a ticket in the 'Lotto Texas' lottery game on Feb. 17 through the mobile app which secured her ticket from a licensed retailer in Austin. According to the filing, the courier service has been used for years "to lawfully purchase Texas lottery tickets." After finding out she had the winning numbers, the woman went to the Texas Lottery Commission on March 18 to claim her prize. The win was also highlighted on the Texas Lottery official website. "The Commission conducted its ticket validation procedures and determined that Plaintiff was the lawful bearer of the winning ticket," the document states. "At no time has Sergio Rey or the Commission or anyone purporting to act on the Commission's behalf advised (the woman) that the winning ticket is invalid, inauthentic, obtained by fraud, has an illicit chain of custody, or that any other unlawful conduct was involved in (the woman's) procurement of the winning ticket." In a statement to USA TODAY, the Texas Lottery said it "does not comment on pending litigation." Lottery winners: Woman stops for gas, leaves with 6-figure lottery prize: 'It felt so unreal' Woman's lawsuit calls Texas Lottery's failure to pay 'illegal' According to the lawsuit and local news station KVUE, days after the woman bought her winning ticket, Ryan Mindell, the now-resigned executive director of the Texas Lottery, ruled that lottery ticket courier services are prohibited. The rule change prompted the commission to "refuse to pay (the woman) her lottery winnings" due to how she purchased the ticket, the lawsuit says, alleging that the lack of action is "illegal." "They are simply stonewalling the winner, stalling and not being responsible or acting with any integrity," the filing continued. The woman is requesting the full prize amount, coverage of attorney costs and permanent injunctive relief. "In Texas, a deal is a deal, unless you are the Texas Lottery," the lawsuit states. Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman sues Texas Lottery for not receiving massive prize months after win
A Texas lottery player is pursuing legal action against state officials, alleging she hasn't received her multi-million-dollar prize months after winning. The unnamed woman is suing Sergio Rey, the acting deputy executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission. In the lawsuit filed on May 21 and obtained by USA TODAY, she claims she was not paid "as the rightful and undisputed winner" of a $83.5 million prize. The woman initially purchased a ticket in the 'Lotto Texas' lottery game on Feb. 17 through the mobile app which secured her ticket from a licensed retailer in Austin. According to the filing, the courier service has been used for years "to lawfully purchase Texas lottery tickets." After finding out she had the winning numbers, the woman went to the Texas Lottery Commission on March 18 to claim her prize. The win was also highlighted on the Texas Lottery official website. "The Commission conducted its ticket validation procedures and determined that Plaintiff was the lawful bearer of the winning ticket," the document states. "At no time has Sergio Rey or the Commission or anyone purporting to act on the Commission's behalf advised (the woman) that the winning ticket is invalid, inauthentic, obtained by fraud, has an illicit chain of custody, or that any other unlawful conduct was involved in (the woman's) procurement of the winning ticket." In a statement to USA TODAY, the Texas Lottery said it "does not comment on pending litigation." Lottery winners: Woman stops for gas, leaves with 6-figure lottery prize: 'It felt so unreal' According to the lawsuit and local news station KVUE, days after the woman bought her winning ticket, Ryan Mindell, the now-resigned executive director of the Texas Lottery, ruled that lottery ticket courier services are prohibited. The rule change prompted the commission to "refuse to pay (the woman) her lottery winnings" due to how she purchased the ticket, the lawsuit says, alleging that the lack of action is "illegal." "They are simply stonewalling the winner, stalling and not being responsible or acting with any integrity," the filing continued. The woman is requesting the full prize amount, coverage of attorney costs and permanent injunctive relief. "In Texas, a deal is a deal, unless you are the Texas Lottery," the lawsuit states. Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman sues Texas Lottery after not receiving massive prize
