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Amid scandals and suspicions, the Texas Lottery Commission was abolished earlier this year. On Monday, September 1, Labor Day, the Texas Lottery will change hands. Here's what it means for players.
New management
The Lottery Commission was embroiled in high-profile lottery scandals in 2023 and 2025, and was put on the chopping block for potential criminal involvement.
In June, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 3070, which addresses:
The abolishment of the Texas Lottery Commission and the transfer of the administration of the state lottery and the licensing and regulation of charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
The TDLR is a governor-appointed board that regulates a broad swathe of industries. The lottery game's transfer represents its biggest takeover, according to the Texas Tribune, increasing its staff of 545 by 30%.
Most of the commission staff will remain during the transfer, including acting deputy executive director Sergio Ray. Former executive director Ryan Mindell resigned before SB 3070 was passed.
Why is this happening?
A series of widely-publicized scandals shook the Texas lottery commission to its core, demanding fundamental change.
The first event occurred in 2023, when a European entity purchased 27 million Texas Lotto tickets in 72 hours, buying up every possible draw combination in a calculated spree. They took home a $95 million jackpot.
Then, this year, a player won an $83.5 million jackpot through the lottery courier Jackpocket. A lottery courier is a third-party, independent lottery ticket sales platform. The store fell under suspicion when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pointed out that the winning retailer was owned by Jackpocket. In February, Patrick stated:
The Texas Lottery cannot continue unless the people of Texas have faith that the game is not rigged in advance or that it is not being used as a criminal enterprise to launder massive amounts of money.
After months of debate, the player received her jackpot win, but lottery couriers were banned in the state in April by the commission.
According to the Texas Tribune, the Attorney General's office launched investigations into criminal wrongdoing by the Lottery Commission at the time. However, they haven't commented on the investigations since.
What does this mean for players?
For lottery ticketholders, the management change doesn't mean much. Lottery games will still continue more or less as usual.
However, other legislative efforts have a direct effect on gameplay. Senate Bill 1346, which passed in June, prohibits ticket sales to players who attempt to procure all possible winning ticket combinations in a lottery drawing.
Also, due to the lottery courier ban, players have not been able to acquire tickets on platforms such as Jackpocket, Lotto.com, or Jackpot.com. There are currently no options for Texans to buy lottery tickets online.
About the Texas lottery games
The Texas Lottery offers several state draw games and about 100 scratch-offs. Profits support veterans and schools, with $1.98 billion going to state schools in fiscal year 2024. When scandals hit state lotteries, they don't just affect players - they compromise critical funds for those in need.
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