Topsy-Turvy Texas: Lottery’s Future Is 50/50, Lotto.com Gets A Promising Ruling
All options are on the table as fallout from controversial jackpot wins continues
2 min
Even though the Dallas Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship game in nearly 30 years, they remain America’s Team and are always a focal point of national sports conversation regardless of their contender status.
We’re reaching a similar point with the Texas Lottery. Thanks to the constant drama and dysfunction swirling, this is the state lottery that is dominating the headlines and attracting persistent national media attention.
This week’s additions to that never-ending pile of headlines: The courier service Lotto.com scored an initial court win in its lawsuit against the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), and a Texas state senator who is looking to abolish lottery play in the state said he thinks it’s 50-50 he’ll succeed.
Lotto.com TRO approved
On April 24, Lotto.com sued the TLC and Acting Executive Director Sergio Rey for banning it and other lottery couriers without following the proper process to amend or repeal existing rules.
The first ruling on that case is in, with State District Judge Sherine Thomas issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the TLC from taking enforcement action against Lotto.com while the suit plays out.
Thomas found Lotto.com’s request for a TRO “meritorious” and hinted at the end result of the case by noting “there is substantial likelihood” that Lotto.com will ultimately prevail over the TLC.
The expected next step in this case is a temporary injunction hearing scheduled for May 27.
Of course, whether Lotto.com and other courier companies like Jackpot.com and Jackpocket can operate in the state is only relevant if Texas remains a legal lottery jurisdiction. Which brings us to the other major news topic …
Will the Texas Lottery vanish?
As The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday, the existence of the Texas Lottery Commission is set to expire Aug. 31 if the state legislature doesn’t renew its authorization — and state Sen. Bob Hall is pushing for that very outcome.
“Government does not need to be in the gambling business,” Hall told the outlet, saying he believes it’s a 50-50 shot there is no more Texas lottery after August.
“There’s no money in the budget for it and it’s not in the safety net bill,” Hall added.
The possibility of the Texas lottery going away drew attention to the groups that benefit from the lottery’s funds. As The Dallas Morning News noted, the state lottery has provided $34 billion to public schools since 1997 and $267 million for veterans since 2010.
All of these efforts to shut down the lottery and/or courier services facilitating ticket sales online stems from a pair of controversial jackpot wins.
In April 2023, a group called Rook TX found it mathematically optimal to buy up every number combination when the Texas Lotto jackpot reached $95 million, and the group did just that — allegedly with assistance from the commission itself in setting up extra terminals to print tickets.
In February, the Texas Lotto grand prize was at $83.5 million when a player who purchased her ticket via Jackpocket hit upon the winning numbers. There has been no evidence of wrongdoing to this point, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick nevertheless launched an investigation and the woman’s prize money is being held up while the investigation is ongoing.
