The Lotto Matrix: Texas Lottery Tumult Continues

First things first

How much is Friday’s Mega Million jackpot drawing worth? A decent chunk of change at $154 million, or a nice $69 million for the cash option. The rollover count has reached nine since someone in Ohio matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball for the $112 million drawing April 18. That remains the lone jackpot win since the $5 price point was introduced April 8.

It was a relatively quiet week for second-tier prizes as no one matched all five non-Mega Ball numbers last Friday or Tuesday. A total of 12 people matched four numbers and the Mega Ball in those drawings, resulting in payouts totaling $340,000 thanks to the randomized multiplier.

How much is Saturday’s Powerball jackpot drawing worth? Powerball again has a slightly higher jackpot than Mega Millions at $163 million, and for those who need cash now, that option provides $73.3 million. The three drawings without a jackpot the last six days lifted the number of rollovers to 11 since James Shannon Farthing and Linda Grizzle won the $167.3 million drawing April 26 in Kentucky.

Unlike Mega Millions, Powerball did mint some millionaires last week, as three $1 million tickets were sold for Wednesday night’s drawing in Kansas, New Hampshire, and Texas. The trio who matched the five non-Powerball numbers were the most for a single drawing since five such tickets were played March 29.

As the Texas Lottery turns

This week’s dispatch from the Lone Star State originates in Austin, where the winner of the $83.5 million drawing in February filed a lawsuit against the Texas Lottery Commission demanding she be paid her jackpot winnings.

KXAN-TV reported the “Jane Doe” lawsuit claims the winner presented the winning ticket to the embattled state agency on March 18 and has yet to be paid. It also says the refusal by the TLC to pay the winnings is taking place “apparently at the behest of one or more elected office holders.”

“[I]f you win, you should get paid,” the complaint reads. “When you win, the Lottery should pay you — not stall, not waffle, not hem, not haw, not try and change the rules and not try to back out of the deal. Lotteries with integrity pay the winners. Responsible lotteries pay the winners. Anything short of that destroys the integrity of the lottery and shatters the confidence of those who play it. It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to get paid when you win the lottery. But that’s exactly what has happened here.”

The woman’s victory, along with the $95 million drawing in April 2023 won by an entity called Rook TX, continue to be investigated by the Texas Rangers.

Cajun country punts on online lottery

It will be at least another year before Louisiana has online lottery ticket sales after Rep. Vanessa Caston LaFleur on Wednesday voluntarily deferred her bill, HB 228, which would have authorized an iLottery platform in the state.

LaFleur will draft a study resolution that will mandate further investigation of the best ways to launch an online lottery, and then try legislation again next year. The fiscal note accompanying the bill estimated the state would have received $23 million in gross revenue annually with online lottery ticket sales.

“HB228 represents an opportunity for us to modernize Louisiana’s lottery operations and most importantly provide much-needed additional funding to K-12 schools across the state,” LaFleur, the committee’s vice chair, told her fellow committee members. “As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I understand the need for our state to identify new sources of recurring revenue to fund things that are important to us, that being K-12 education.

“What we know for sure is that it’s on the horizon. Just not today. There is work to be done and we are committed to doing that work because there’s money hanging out there for K-12 education. In light of that, I will be voluntarily deferring this bill and then … doing a resolution to study this further so that we can take this up with all the information available to us.”

Hoosier State budget machinations

The Indiana Lottery reported it will end the fiscal year both spending and earning less than anticipated, but the state agency is still tracking above its incentive payment mark. The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported the Indiana Lottery expected revenue to be down almost 4% at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, but prize expenses dipped more than 4%; game and provider expenses were down more than 5%; and administrative expenses were more than 20% lower.

Overall, the Indiana Lottery is expected to provide $352 million in net earnings for the state, $10 million above the $342 million that triggers an incentive payment. The state agency and lottery operator IGT Indiana will split the overflow. Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Sarah Taylor projected $352 million in net earnings for Fiscal Year 2026, citing worsening economic conditions as a reason for the conservative estimate.

“We did take a cautious approach on, not only the draw games, but also on scratch,” Taylor said. “We want to make sure it’s the right fit for our players. We want to make sure the play style is fun and interesting, so we’ll be very flexible, like we were this year, into next year. And yes, we were cautious.”

Why would you (allegedly) do that?

A man in Campbell County, Virginia, who allegedly posed as a Virginia Lottery agent and cashed winning tickets he stole, is currently on the run from authorities and faces two counts of felony Grand Larceny.

WSET-TV is reporting Gino Anthony Oritz allegedly gained access to “multiple gaming machines” and illegally cashed multiple winning tickets in Lynchburg. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office was able to identify Ortiz in conjunction with multiple law enforcement agencies.

The Sheriff’s Office said Ortiz also faces charges for felony Obtaining Money by False Pretense and misdemeanor Obtaining Money by False Pretense.

Newsworthy Nuggets

California scratch-off pays out first of five $15 million top prizes: The California Lottery reported Wednesday the first grand prize winner of the 40 Years of Play! scratch-off game was Israel Martin Rodrigurez, who purchased his winning ticket in February at the 7-Eleven on the corner of Oxnard Steet and Woodman Avenue in Van Nuys.

The store received a $75,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. A second winning ticket has been sold, leaving three grand prizes still available.

Dollars in Danbury: The News Times reported a Danbury, Connecticut, resident claimed the second of the three $2 million top prizes available in the Connecticut Lottery’s Mega Multiplier game. The winning $20 ticket was sold at the J&R White Street Citgo in Danbury, and the store will receive a $20,000 bonus.

The winner had the option of receiving 20 annual payments of $100,000 or a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1.5 million before taxes.

When the junk drawer holds something special: According to the New Jersey Lottery, a Mercer County couple bought Mega Millions tickets on New Year’s Eve for the then-$20 million drawing and put the tickets aside. The player said the tickets were out of sight, out of mind until recently when they had them checked.

“I was in the house and I just opened the drawer and I saw the tickets. I decided to get them checked,” the player said, reflecting on a return visit to the store. “I scanned them. One said ‘not a winner,’ and then another ‘not a winner,’ and then I scanned a ticket that said ‘winner.’

The player took the winning ticket home to match it up against the winning numbers drawn that night and discovered they had won the second-tier prize of $1 million.

“I thought maybe $1,000. Or $10,000. I couldn’t believe it — $1 million?!?” said the winner, who said the couple’s newfound riches would go toward helping their children.

Who has the biggest active individual state lotto jackpot in the land? For the second straight week, the Texas Lottery is offering the biggest individual state prize, as Saturday night’s jackpot is worth $22.75 million with a cash option of $12.2 million. Holding steady in second is New York with an $11.1 million prize up for grabs Saturday night.

California pipped the final podium spot from Illinois after two rollovers pushed the Golden State jackpot to $10 million. Illinois’ jackpot is currently $8.6 million, and Oregon rounds out the top five this week with a $4.5 million prize available Saturday night via its Megabucks drawing.

The multi-state Lotto America again rolled over twice, raising the number to an incomprehensible 166 since the last jackpot was won April 24, 2024. The jackpot for Saturday night’s 15-state drawing is $35.56 million with a cash option of $15.98 million.

Until next week, dream big, check your numbers, and play responsibly!