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The Hill
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Judge orders Texas Lottery Commission to protect $83.5 million of disputed funds won in February jackpot
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and its acting executive director from spending any of the $83.5 million a Houston woman won in a February Lotto Texas jackpot. None of the jackpot has been paid out because the Texas Rangers are currently investigating the win — along with an April 2023 jackpot win — to see if there was any foul play involved. The judge wrote in the ruling that the Texas woman 'will be irreparably harmed if Defendant Sergio Rey, in his official capacity as acting executive director for the Texas Lottery Commission causes the $83,500,000 jackpot prize to be diminished, wasted, or paid to another before the merits of Plaintiff's claims are fully and finally adjudicated.' The ruling comes the same day a bill to end the TLC was sent to the Governor's desk for final approval. Senate Bill 3070 would eliminate the commission and transfer the operation of the lottery and charitable bingo to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Randy Howry, the lottery winner's attorney, said he believes the restraining order will also apply to the TDLR if the Governor signs the bill into law. The restraining order has a limited lifespan. In this case it will only last three days because there is an evidentiary hearing on June 5 for a temporary injunction. A temporary injunction would protect those funds until a trial can happen. Howry and his client are worried the February lottery winnings could be spent on other winners or pay for other costs within the commission as it faces extinction. 'We're doing everything we can to protect these funds,' Howry explained. The Texas woman won the Feb. 17 lottery drawing worth $83.5 million. The woman purchased $20 worth of tickets on the Jackpocket app, a service that allows players to buy tickets over the phone. Those services are known as lottery couriers and they have become the target of lawmakers this session who believe they are against the laws written in the state and believe the lottery commission acted beyond its means to allow couriers to operate in Texas. Some lottery courier services were involved in helping a single entity, known as Rook TX, purchase and print more than $25 million worth of tickets in a 72-hour time span in April of 2023. That number of tickets nearly guaranteed the entity would have the winning ticket for a $95 million jackpot. This session lawmakers have questioned the TLC and its commissioners about how something like that could happen. Lawsuits have been filed against those courier services and the former executive director of the commission. In February, a week after the Texas woman won the jackpot, the TLC said it was banning lottery courier services and the Governor directed the Texas Rangers to investigate those two wins. Howry said he and his client were told by the commission they could not be paid out while the Rangers investigated. However, Howry says he and his client have not been questioned by any agency regarding the February drawing.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge orders Texas Lottery Commission to protect $83.5 million of disputed funds won in February jackpot
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and its acting executive director from spending any of the $83.5 million a Houston woman won in a February Lotto Texas jackpot. None of the jackpot has been paid out because the Texas Rangers are currently investigating the win — along with an April 2023 jackpot win — to see if there was any foul play involved. The judge wrote in the ruling that the Texas woman 'will be irreparably harmed if Defendant Sergio Rey, in his official capacity as acting executive director for the Texas Lottery Commission causes the $83,500,000 jackpot prize to be diminished, wasted, or paid to another before the merits of Plaintiff's claims are fully and finally adjudicated.' The ruling comes the same day a bill to end the TLC was sent to the Governor's desk for final approval. Senate Bill 3070 would eliminate the commission and transfer the operation of the lottery and charitable bingo to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Temporary Restraining Order against TLCDownload Randy Howry, the lottery winner's attorney, said he believes the restraining order will also apply to the TDLR if the Governor signs the bill into law. The restraining order has a limited lifespan. In this case it will only last three days because there is an evidentiary hearing on June 5 for a temporary injunction. A temporary injunction would protect those funds until a trial can happen. Howry and his client are worried the February lottery winnings could be spent on other winners or pay for other costs within the commission as it faces extinction. 'We're doing everything we can to protect these funds,' Howry explained. The Texas woman won the Feb. 17 lottery drawing worth $83.5 million. The woman purchased $20 worth of tickets on the Jackpocket app, a service that allows players to buy tickets over the phone. Those services are known as lottery couriers and they have become the target of lawmakers this session who believe they are against the laws written in the state and believe the lottery commission acted beyond its means to allow couriers to operate in Texas. Some lottery courier services were involved in helping a single entity, known as Rook TX, purchase and print more than $25 million worth of tickets in a 72-hour time span in April of 2023. That number of tickets nearly guaranteed the entity would have the winning ticket for a $95 million jackpot. This session lawmakers have questioned the TLC and its commissioners about how something like that could happen. Lawsuits have been filed against those courier services and the former executive director of the commission. In February, a week after the Texas woman won the jackpot, the TLC said it was banning lottery courier services and the Governor directed the Texas Rangers to investigate those two wins. Howry said he and his client were told by the commission they could not be paid out while the Rangers investigated. However, Howry says he and his client have not been questioned by any agency regarding the February drawing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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
