Woman Takes Texas Lottery to Court over Unpaid $83.5M Prize
A Texas woman, claiming to be the winner of the controversial $83.5 million jackpot in February, has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) for failing to pay her winnings.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The plaintiff, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit. She alleges that she purchased the Lotto Texas ticket, which gave her the win through Jackpocket on February 17.
Jackpocket, a lottery courier, in turn, bought the ticket from Winners Corner, an Austin-based licensed lottery retailer, on her behalf. Lottery courier services let users order lottery tickets through their app and then buy the physical ticket for them.
Winnings under $600 are paid out directly through the app, but for larger jackpots, the ticket is delivered to the user, who must claim the prize in person.
Retroactive Ban Dispute
The issue began after the Texas Lottery Commission announced a ban on lottery courier services, just a week after the February Lotto Texas drawing. Two months later, the ban was made official following a unanimous vote by the commission. But before then, Jackpocket and some other couriers had already exited the state.
Now, Doe is claiming that the commission's ban is an improper retroactive move aimed at evading payment of her winning ticket. The lawsuit asserts that Doe submitted her ticket on March 18, and the commission didn't raise any issues with it at that time.
What Led to the Ban
The TLC's decision to ban lottery couriers was preceded by controversy and concerns over the service's legitimacy, especially fueled by Doe's large winning ticket. The jackpot ranks as the fifth-largest in Texas history and hit the headlines in February.
However, after learning the winning ticket was bought through Jackpocket, Texas Governor Greg Abbott demanded an inquiry into lottery couriers. It was this investigation that led to the discovery of a scheme in 2023 in which a group won a $95 million jackpot after purchasing $26 million worth of tickets through a lottery courier.
The revelation sent shockwaves through Texas, sparking a probe into the TLC's integrity. The fallout led to the resignation of Executive Director Ryan Mindell in April.
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Abolition of TLC
There are now growing demands to scrap the TLC, and a bill to effect this is currently on the governor's desk awaiting signature.
Senate Bill 3070, Proposed by Sen. Bob Hall, will transfer control of the lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and restructure the lottery's leadership and operational framework.
The measure cleared the House on May 26, after previously passing the Senate on May 15, and now awaits the governor's assent to become law.
Doe's lawsuit adds a new dimension to the matter. If the TLC is dissolved, it's unclear what impact this would have on the case in court.
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