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Texas Lottery Commission Stalls $83.5M Win Payment Over Technicality

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.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bz2h1" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bz2h1.jpg"/>

 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.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bzb4F" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bzb4F.jpg"/>

 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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Texas Lottery Commission Stalls $83.5M Win Payment Over Technicality

Unknown crime, gambling, lotteries, money, news

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, …

Texas Lottery Commission Stalls $83.5M Win Payment Over Technicality

A Texan woman who recently scooped the $83.5 million jackpot on the
 lottery
 may never receive her winnings, officials have warned.


 The Austin resident, who remains anonymous, 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.


 Seven days after her victory, lottery officials in Texas announced that they were moving forward with an investigation into two separate major wins due to money laundering concerns. Despite this development coming after her win, lottery officials are still withholding payment. An estimated two million Texans use lottery courier services.


 The woman made the trip to the lottery’s headquarters in Austin last Tuesday, hoping to collect her winnings, but she was sent away empty-handed.


 “I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed, and now I'm just angry,” she recently told the
 Austin America-Statesman
 in the presence of her lawyer, Randy Howry. “I literally spent $20. I didn't spend $26 million to run every single possible combination of numbers.”


 The
 Texas Lottery Commission
 ’s Executive Director Ryan Mindell was sharply criticized during a Texas Senate Finance Committee hearing on February 12 after a group used lottery couriers to bulk purchase more than $25 million in tickets to buy 99 percent of the possible combination of numbers, clinching a $95 million jackpot in April 2023.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1ByZrh" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1ByZrh.jpg"/>

 On February 24, the TLC said it would move forward with making lottery courier services illegal in the state after initially stating it didn’t have the power to change legislation.


 The commission also said it proposed a rule change to revoke the licenses of retailers working with third-party operators.


 The same day, Texas Governor
 Greg Abbott
 directed
 Texas Rangers
 to investigate her lottery win and the 2023 jackpot win. Two days later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxman announced his own investigation into the two “suspicious” wins.


 According to the woman’s lawyer, the TLC's general counsel said that the commission would not decide whether to pay out the winnings until the Texas Rangers complete their investigation.


 The woman maintains she is the rightful winner of last month’s draw.


 “Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don’t think mine is one of them,” she told a Nextstar on Wednesday. “This is an opportunity for me to do other things with my life and I want to be able to go do those,” she said.


 Howry, who also said his client did no wrongdoing, added: “We played by all the rules, and we’re still playing by all the rules and we expect that my client should be paid.”


 The woman’s attorney told the local station that if the jackpot was not paid out within three days – the typical time it takes for winnings to be paid out after a winning ticket is presented – his client would consider all options, including litigation.


 On February 28, four days after the lottery couriers ban, state senators unanimously voted to criminalize them. If passed by the Texas House and signed by Abbott, acting as a courier for pay would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Bz4bS" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Bz4bS.jpg"/>

 The TLC has been embroiled in scandal in recent years. A panel probed it, accusing its jackpots of being used as a potential vehicle 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 result, we are suspending lottery courier operations in Texas.”


 Since 1986, The Independent has campaigned for what we believe in, not what we are told to believe, with integrity, inclusion, innovation and independence as our guiding principles.

Texas Lottery Commission Stalls $83.5M Win Payment Over Technicality

Unknown crime, gambling, lotteries, money, news

A Texan woman who recently scooped the $83.5 million jackpot on the lottery may never receive her winnings, officials have warned. The Austin resident, who remains anonymous, spent $20 on Texas …