Ryan Mindell, executive director of the TLC confirmed that his team has taken action against retailers associated with violations
The lottery courier saga in Texas continues as the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) launched an investigation into retailers connected to such services.
Lottery Couriers Are a Hot Topic in Texas
Lottery couriers are a type of service where companies purchase lottery tickets on behalf of the customers, effectively allowing them to play online. Tickets are scanned and sent to the players and prizes under certain sums are automatically redeemed into customers’ digital wallets.
Even though such firms take a cut off all deposits, they have become increasingly popular among customers because of the convenience they provide.
Unfortunately, lottery couriers have become the center of controversies in Texas where some people have argued that such offerings constitute unregulated online gambling. Concerns have skyrocketed ever since a foreign consortium leveraged courier services to spend $26 million to buy out all tickets for a lottery draw in 2023 and secure itself a $95 million jackpot.
While this wasn’t strictly illegal, everyone agreed that it created a dangerous precedent that would make the lottery unfair to the average player. The case sparked worries about the integrity of the lottery, leading to calls for stricter measures against courier services.
The TLC Investigates Retailers over Violations
After another multi-million jackpot was won by a local resident via lottery courier Jackpocket, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick doubled down on his call for a crackdown on lottery couriers. He threatened that should the government determine that the integrity of the lottery has been compromised, it might decide to close it for good.
Thus, the TLC switched its stance on lottery couriers, proclaiming its readiness to ban them completely. Although the organization’s policy change is still undergoing a 30-day public comment period, it marked a stark shift in its approach. Two weeks later, the TLC also announced that all lottery retailers associated with such businesses will have their businesses investigated.
Ryan Mindell, executive director of the TLC confirmed that his team has taken action against retailers associated with violations. He added that some of those retailers have agreed to forfeit their lottery vendor licenses or at least put an end to their partnerships with lottery couriers.
The TLC confirmed that investigations into several courier companies continue.
Two Bills, Two Vastly Different Approaches
In the meantime, Texas lawmakers are pushing for legal changes that would outlaw lottery couriers. The bill secured unanimous approval from the Texas Senate and is rapidly gaining traction.
In the meantime, a separate House bill is pushing for less drastic changes. Instead of an outright ban on couriers, the bill proposes a prohibition on bulk purchasing of lottery tickets.
The latter measure was praised by lottery couriers in Texas, which said that it would address the issue while still allowing Texans to enjoy their services.
