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Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Lottery concerns: Commission holds meeting amid investigations into courier services
The Brief The Texas Lottery Commission held a meeting Tuesday just two weeks after a controversial win in Austin. The Texas Lottery has recently been under scrutiny by state officials. The Texas Lottery Commission held a meeting Tuesday just two weeks after a controversial win in Austin triggered investigations into retail courier services. What they're saying The new executive director spent his time addressing the issues on Tuesday by focusing on the couriers, not the lottery. "The $84 million recent Lotto Texas jackpot, when we believe that there was enough there to say that we need to take action with the lottery retailers over this issue," said executive director Ryan Mindell. Mindell has held the position for 11 months after Gary Grief, the former executive director, resigned. Grief and a courier are being accused of money laundering, fraud, and manipulating the outcome of lottery games. However, they denied their involvement. The other side The chief legal officer of a retail courier chose to share his side at the meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Rob Porter is the Chief Legal Officer of and Players Cafe. "We are very concerned about the lottery's abrupt policy change and proposed rules to prohibit lottery career services in Texas," said Rob Porter. "I ask that you listen to the materials that we give." Porter said they have been left out of the discussions surrounding their operations and the future of their business. "Before you make rules to policy that harm responsible private businesses that have invested millions of dollars in that state, before you take action and pass rules that jeopardize the jobs of dozens of Texans," said Porter. He continued to explain the ripple effects of banning couriers and its impact on companies that follow the law. Big picture view "When the lottery was initially passed, it didn't contemplate these apps and smartphones buying tickets," said state Rep. John H. Bucy III. "It's how 2 million Texans buy lottery tickets right now." Bucy has been pushing to pass a bill that would regulate couriers and ensure everyone plays by the rules. "I do not think that we should just be an emotional response to saying, there's something bad that's happening with the lottery, or something bad is happening with the couriers, and we're gonna throw out the industry," said Bucy. Texas Lottery moves to ban courier services after controversial win Bill to ban online, app purchase of Texas Lottery tickets passes Senate Texas Lottery concerns: Bill filed to ban app, Internet purchase of lotto tickets The conversation about banning the online sale of lotto tickets is something the new executive director of the TLC stated they would do. However, he does not have the authority to make that decision. "Forever, the Lottery Commission has told us that they don't have authority to regulate couriers," said Bucy. "Then somehow, overnight, they woke up and said, oh, I now have this authority; I don't know, I don't know who gave it to them. Where did it come from? After years, I'm not having it." The backstory The Texas Lottery has been under the microscope after recent controversial wins. Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate an $83.5 million winning ticket sold in Austin through a courier this month and a $95 million winning ticket in 2023 that was allegedly made through a bulk purchase. Attorney General Ken Paxtonannounced his own investigation into the Texas Lottery Commission as well. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has also publicly called for reforms to the Texas Lottery, especially in regards to couriers. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt and previous reporting by FOX 7 Austin.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite ‘ban,' two lottery couriers still operating in Texas
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — On Feb. 24, the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) decided to ban lottery couriers — mobile and online applications that buy lottery tickets on people's behalf for a service fee. Eight days later, and are still taking orders in Texas. The policy statement said 'the TLC believes couriers are not legal under Texas law and the TLC will exercise its discretion under the SLA to take all appropriate action to stop this activity from occurring, including identifying and investigating any licensed lottery retailer suspected of working in concert with a courier and initiating an enforcement action to revoke the retailer's sales agent license.' During Tuesday's Lottery Commission meeting, new rules to prevent courier services were discussed, which now have to go through a 30-day public comment period before being adopted in April. 'I struggle with how Texas ends up being different than the 18 other states that we, that couriers regularly operate in a regulated fashion currently,' Chief Legal Counsel Rob Porter said during public comment on the proposed rule changes. 'The laws aren't significantly different. The responsible couriers like have the same security, we have the same technological protections, we have the same responsible play guidelines that we use in other states. We keep the lottery informed here, just as we do everywhere else, and we're going to do it as long as we're allowed.' As lottery couriers remain insistent that their operation is legal under Texas state law, the Texas Lottery Commission's policy statement provided a list of 13 established regulations couriers may be in violation of. The Texas Lottery Commission could not be reached in time for this story. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers, who represents the two companies (along with Jackpocket, which has ceased Texas operations), said to reach out to and directly, neither of which could be reached in time for this story. It is unclear whether either application went dark after the Lottery Commission announced the ban on courier services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
