A lucky Texas woman won a whopping $83.5 million lottery jackpot back in February. However, what was supposed to be a life-changing sum has instead turned into incessant headaches as officials are currently debating if she should get her winnings or not, given the fact that she bought her ticket through a courier. Texas officials are now investigating the incident.
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A week after the anonymous-by-choice woman bought her winning ticket through Jackpocket, a third-party courier, on February 17, both Texas Governor Greg Abbot and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued similar statements. Both Abbot and Paxton said they are currently investigating the woman's lottery courier purchase as well as an April 2023 bulk purchase.
"Texans must be able to trust in our state's lottery system and know that the lottery is conducted with integrity and lawfully," Abbot said. Similarly, Paxton said, "Texas citizens deserve far better than bad actors getting rich off of a lottery system that is open to exploitation, and we will hold anyone who engages in illegal activity accountable."
Policy Change
The controversy came after a policy change introduced on February 24 by the Texas Lottery Commision (TLC) made buying lottery tickets through courier services illegal. The TLC announced the policy change only a week after the woman won the $83.5 million jackpot. With the policy change, the woman's winnings were denied.
In a news release issued by the TLC, its Executive Director, Ryan Mindell, called courier services a "significant concern" for their stakeholders. Therefore, the TLC conducted a review of its authority under the State Lottery Act.
"As a result of this review and information from recent retailer investigations, the Commission will revoke the license of a retailer that works with or assists a courier service," Mindell said. "We are moving to prohibit courier services in Texas to ensure all ticket sales comply with state law and agency regulation as well as to maintain public trust."
The news release also addressed the controversial jackpot win. According to the TLC, only three days before the woman's ticket purchase, the commission had submitted a Request for Opinion to the Attorney General's Office. This led to the February 24 policy change.
"This jackpot win led to investigations by the agency amid continued focus by the public and our stakeholders," the news release reads. "And now, after information from those investigations and a review of its authority, the agency is taking direct action to stop courier activity from occurring in Texas."
Winnings Pending
On March 26, the woman talked with NBC News about how she purchased the $20 lottery ticket through Jackpocket. She said that she had purchased tickets and won in the past without any issues. The courier, since the policy change, has suspended its lottery courier operations in Texas, as per a February 26 announcement.
As per NBC News, the TLC investigated the woman's jackpot win. While the TLC news release explicitly said that the policy change was "effective immediately," it is unclear if the TLC will enforce it retroactively, therefore the controversy.
As per the woman's attorney, Randy Howry, the TLC has already finished its investigation, identifying the woman as the winner. The decision on whether she will receive her payment is pending on the governor's and attorney general's investigations.
