A Texas-based woman who recently won the $83.5 million lottery jackpot on the lottery may never receive her winnings, officials have warned.
The person from Austin, who wishes to remain unnamed, spent $20 on Texas lotto tickets for the February 17 draw using the app Jackpocket. Jackpocket is a third-party vendor—known as an online lottery courier—that allows customers to buy tickets and scratch-offs remotely for a fee.
A week following her triumph, Texas lottery authorities disclosed their intention to investigate two significant recent wins amid suspicions of money laundering. Regardless of this announcement post-her-victory, payments remain paused. It’s approximated that around two million people in Texas utilize lottery delivery services.
Last Tuesday, the woman traveled to the lottery’s offices in Austin with hopes of claiming her prize money, yet she left without anything.
"I have experienced frustration, sadness, and stress, and now I am simply filled with anger," she recently shared. Austin America-Statesman In the presence of her attorney, Randy Howry, she stated, "I only spent $20. I didn’t shell out $26 million to test all potential number combinations."
The Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Ryan Mindell faced severe criticism at a Texas Senate Finance Committee meeting on February 12 following an incident where a syndicate utilized lottery courier services to mass-purchase over $25 million worth of tickets, securing nearly all potential number combinations. This strategic move resulted in winning a massive $95 million prize in April 2023.
On February 24, the TLC announced its intention to proceed with making lottery courier services illegal within the state, despite previously claiming it lacked the authority to alter the legislation.
The commission additionally suggested introducing a regulation aimed at revoking the licenses of retailers who collaborate with third-party operators.
On the same day, the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott directed Texas Rangers To examine her lottery victory and the 2023 jackpot claim. Two days afterward, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxman declared he would be conducting an independent probe into both "questionable" victories.
As per the statement from the lady's legal representative, the TLC's top legal advisor mentioned that the committee will postpone determining the payment of the prize money until after the Texas Rangers finalize their inquiry.
The woman claims she is the legitimate winner of last month's lottery draw.
"There might be occasions where investigation is necessary, but I believe this isn't one of them," she stated to NextStar on Wednesday. "Now seems like a good time for me to explore different paths in life, and I'm eager to pursue those opportunities," she added.
Howry, who also stated that his client was not at fault, further mentioned: "We adhered to all the regulations, and we continue to follow every rule, expecting that my client will receive their due payment."
The woman's lawyer informed the local channel that should the lottery prize not be distributed within three days—the usual timeframe required for processing a claim following the submission of a winning ticket—his client would explore every available option, potentially including legal action.
On February 28, just four days following the prohibition of lottery couriers, all members of the state senate agreed to make this act illegal. Should the Texas House approve and Governor Abbott sign off on it, serving as a courier for payment purposes would become a misdemeanor carrying a potential sentence of up to one year in prison along with possible fines reaching $4,000.
In recent times, the TLC has found itself at the center of controversy. An investigation was launched against it, alleging that its jackpots were potentially being exploited as a means for money laundering.
The statute that established the Texas Lottery in 1991 forbids using phones to sell tickets.
Senators told lottery representatives that apps similar to Jackpocket could be used by minors or could allow single buyers to purchase vast numbers of tickets in a single drawing with numerous different possible number combinations.
A spokesperson for Jackpocket said that it had suspended activity in Texas.
“Despite our proven track record of compliance and commitment to responsible gaming, the Texas Lottery Commission has issued a new policy prohibiting our services, effective immediately,” they told the news station.
As a consequence, we are halting lottery courier services in Texas.
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