News writer
The winner of the Lotto Texas jackpot from a Jackpocket purchase was told she might not ever get the money.
A Texas woman who connected for the $83.5-million Lotto Texas jackpot from the in-state game may not get her winnings after all. According to Nexstar, she was alerted by the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) that the drawing may not be paid based on the ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers.
There has been much debate within Texas about the legality and use of lottery courier services. These third-party companies provide online sales of retail lottery tickets, often for draw games.
Unfortunately, companies like Jackpocket, Jackpot.com, and Lotto.com have been on the negative side of headlines in Texas. Multiple big jackpots have come under scrutiny lately, with there being several irregularities around both the $93-million win from 2023, as well as this latest for over $83 million.
Of course, the ticket holder is fighting to claim her prize. Her lawyer, Randy Howry, stated:
We played by all the rules, and we're still playing by all the rules, and we expect that my client should be paid.
Lotto Texas winner dealing with controversy
The winner of the $83.5-million jackpot feels she is wrongly being denied her prize money. Despite the back-and-forth between lawmakers, the TLC, and these courier services, the lottery allowed her to purchase these tickets in February. She explained:
I'm being treated as the bad guy.
Even though it appears the ticket holder has done nothing wrong, there were some questionable details regarding her win. In fact, there was enough for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to open his own investigation.
The biggest issue for this jackpot stems from the fact that the winner utilized the Jackpocket courier to secure her ticket. The service completes the online orders by buying the physical version of the tickets at retail stores. In this case, and apparently for many other Jackpocket purchases, the tickets are bought at the Winners Corner TX LLC store located in North Austin.
This specific store has more of a focus on it for a few reasons. Not only does the Jackpocket operation work out of the back of the store, but the company also owns the business.
This might not be as much of an issue if it wasn’t producing lots of massive winners. There have been multiple winners of over $2 million in recent years from Winners Circle.
Overall, the location was also the highest-selling lottery retailer in the state in 2023, generating more than $127 million in prizes. The second-place store sold nearly $100 million less. These factors led to the start of the current investigation.
Lottery couriers stir debate in Texas
The state got off to a rocky start with these courier services back in 2023. A $95-million Lotto Texas jackpot was awarded to an out-of-state group that used couriers to purchase nearly every single combination possible in the drawing. Since the jackpot was so high, the group could basically guarantee themselves a profit by purchasing every number.
Naturally, this led to outrage from players across the state, investigations by state legislators, and lawsuits. Now, that dark cloud seems to be impacting this latest Lotto Texas win. The winner stated:
Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don't think mine is one of them.
While the group that fixed the odds in their favor bought almost 26 million total tickets, the Texas resident simply purchased $20 worth, like most lottery players.
She presented her winning ticket to the TLC on Tuesday, but unlike most claims, this could be up in the air for a while. A TLC representative said the commission wouldn't rule on the matter until the Texas Rangers are finished.
Her attorney wasn't pleased by that information, saying:
How unfair would it be if she's not paid her winnings? Is that going to give confidence to those other people out there who want to play the Texas lottery?
He also mentioned how if the commission doesn't pay out the jackpot within three days (the standard timeframe) that another lawsuit could be on the table.
Since selling the winning ticket, Jackpocket has suspended its services in the state. The TLC announced all couriers are not permitted under state law.
Further action has been taken, too. At the beginning of March, the TLC voted to pass a proposal that would adjust several amendments in order to “prohibit the use of lottery ticket courier services by any remote means.”
LotteryUSA will continue to provide updates on this investigation and any additional news surrounding lottery couriers in Texas.
Comments