AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Texas woman who won an $83.5 million jackpot in February through a courier service said the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) advised her the winnings may never be paid out as the Texas Rangers investigate the lottery drawing.
“I’m being treated as the bad guy,” the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Nexstar.
The woman used Jackpocket, an app that allows you to buy lottery tickets and scratch-offs over the phone, to purchase $20 worth of Texas Lotto tickets for the February 17 drawing. Couriers are mobile and online applications that buy lottery tickets on people’s behalf for a service fee.
Lottery courier services have come under fire from many Texas lawmakers who feel they are illegal under current state law, and are upset the TLC allowed the services to operate in the state. The Texas Senate passed a bill that would ban courier services.
After her lottery win — and after increased pressure from state lawmakers — the TLC issued a news release saying lottery courier services are not legal in Texas, and it is proposing a rule change that would revoke the license of any retailer that works with a courier service.
Later that same day, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Rangers to investigate her lottery win and a $95 million jackpot win in 2023, where a single group was able to purchase more than $25 million worth of tickets and buy almost every combination of numbers. An investigation found the group purchased the tickets from four different retailers that work with courier services.
The woman’s attorney, Randy Howry, said his client is the rightful winner of the Feb. 17 drawing and deserves to be paid her winnings.
“We played by all the rules, and we’re still playing by all the rules and we expect that my client should be paid,” Howry said.
Comparing lottery wins
“Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don’t think mine is one of them,” the woman said. She said she does not understand why she is being grouped with the other 2023 jackpot win, which, in her opinion, is far more questionable.
One major difference is the volume of tickets purchased in each lottery win. In the 2023 win, more than 25 million tickets were sold to one group. Lawmakers questioned how that many tickets could be printed out in a 72-hour window, and one lawmaker suggested it was a case of money laundering.
The woman who won the lottery in 2025 paid $20, far fewer than the “bulk purchasing” event that took place in 2023. The commission paid out the $95 million jackpot to an entity called Rook TX and eventually made changes to prevent another bulk purchasing event, but did not stop the use of courier services.
“If they had any qualms about that they should have done something then,” the woman said.
What’s next?
The woman was in Austin on Tuesday to present her winning ticket to the TLC. Typically, the commission would pay out the winnings within three days after the ticket is presented, according to Howry.
But Howry said the general counsel for the TLC told him on Tuesday that the commission would not make a decision on if it would pay out the winnings until the Texas Rangers complete its investigation.
“How unfair would it be if she’s not paid her winnings?” Howry questioned. “Is that going to give confidence to those other people out there who want to play the Texas lottery?”
He added if the winnings are not paid out within three days he and his client will consider all options, including litigation. Nexstar reached out to the TLC to confirm it is waiting to pay out the winnings until the investigation is over. A spokesperson for the agency did confirm the Feb. 17 Lotto Texas winner has come forward, and that the “claim is being reviewed under the Commission’s claim validation requirements and is the subject of external investigations.”
A spokesperson for Jackpocket, which is a DraftKings subsidiary, said the courier service has been operating in Texas since 2019 in compliance with the TLC. The spokesperson said, “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. As a result, we are suspending lottery courier operations in Texas.”
The spokesperson added the company is working with policymakers to craft regulations that would allow lottery courier services to continue in the state.
The woman who purchased the winning ticket said she hopes things are settled fast and she receives her money. “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.
A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office said, “Governor Abbott fully supports the Texas Rangers as they investigate potential issues, and he expects the lottery to work within the bounds of the law.”
