Texas to investigate lottery jackpots as questions swirl about online couriers
CNN
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Rangers to investigate two controversial lottery jackpots amid growing scrutiny over the role of online ticketing firms in the state.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Rangers to investigate two controversial lottery jackpots amid growing scrutiny over the role of online ticketing firms in the state. Abbott asked the agency to investigate this month’s $83.5 million prize, which involved a lottery courier service, and a $95 million win jackpot from 2023 won by a group of investors. Both practices, according to government officials, affect the public’s confidence in the lottery. “Texans must be able to trust in our state’s lottery system and know that the lottery is conducted with integrity and lawfully,” Abbott said Monday in a news release, as lawmakers blasted the Texas Lottery Commission for failing to regulate couriers. Lottery courier services allow customers to buy lottery tickets virtually. Couriers then buy the tickets for customers at physical stores they often own. Critics argue the practice makes it impossible to verify the legality of the buyers and is vulnerable to money laundering. Lottery couriers, which have been operating in the state since 2019, became a focus in April 2023 after a single entity bought 25 million lottery tickets in less than 72 hours using a courier service, CNN affiliate WFAA reported. Then, this month, someone won an $83.5 million jackpot using a ticket purchased through a courier service at an Austin retail store, WFAA reported.
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