Posted on 05/23/2025 6:56:33 PM PDT by lowbridge
A woman who won an $83.5 million Texas lottery jackpot in February has filed a lawsuit after allegedly not receiving her prize amid controversy over the use of third-party couriers for buying tickets.
Howry, Breen & Herman, LLP, an Austin-based law firm representing the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, announced the suit on Wednesday, May 21, against Sergio Rey in his official capacity as acting deputy executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission.
“It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to get paid when you win the lottery,” according to the complaint, which was filed in Travis County District Court and obtained by PEOPLE. “But that’s exactly what has happened here. Because the Texas Lottery has not acted with integrity, has not acted with responsibility, and has not paid Ms. Doe as the rightful and undisputed winner, she had to bring this lawsuit to get paid as the undisputed winner of the $83,500,000.00…”
In an interview with the Austin American-Statesman published on March 18, the woman said she came forward to claim her winnings from the Feb. 17 Lotto Texas jackpot drawing but did not receive them.
NBC affiliate KXAN reports that the woman used Jackpocket, an app that allows users to play "official state lottery games on your phone," according to their website.
Jackpocket is a subsidiary of sports betting company DraftKings, which also owns the Winner’s Corner store located in North Austin, where the winning ticket was purchased, according to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.
On X, Patrick shared a clip of his visit to the Winner’s Corner the day after the Feb. 17 drawing. In the video, a person at the store, who says he is the manager, tells Patrick that the winning $83.5 million ticket was purchased through a courier.
(Excerpt) Read more at people.com ...
IS that rule nationwide?
PEOPLE buy tickets in groups-—only one person actually makes the purchase, etc.
If you knew I owed you eighty-five dollars, but I only paid you back fifteen, would you feel like you could get by with that? I don’t think so, smarty pants.
“IS that rule nationwide?”
No, it is the law in Texas.
I throw $2 at MegaMillions every week. Have a few giggles with the people who sell them at my Safeway store. Especially Theresa, a 3rd grade teacher who works there because it pays better than teaching.
Occasionally win a few bucks. $35 one time, Someone won $3500 a few weeks ago. Too bad, so sad, not me.
“...I throw $2 at MegaMillions every week...”
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A MegaMillions ticket is $5 per ticket now.
She bought the ticket from what was considered a legitimate source. Apparently the Texas Lotto agreed and accepted the money. SHE WON!
SHE WON. PAY HER TODAY!
Ooops, Powerball. I just hand Teresa two dollar bills and she hands me a ticket.
Anyone still playing the lottery’s, well... Losers.
Dumb example or to be nicer, false equivalency. We’re not talking about 85 dollars vs 15 dollars, we’re talking about millions. Yes, I would be ok with “only” getting 15 million on a game of chance. If you can’t get by on only 15 million, well then...
When I went to sporting events, Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, I remember Jackpocket sponsoring them.
Is that sponsored service illegal?
Maybe she should try suing the big companies that sponsored Jaclpocket and see if she gets any satisfaction.
What’s the difference between the State Lottery and the Mafia run numbers game? The Mafia is more honest.
If the Texas lotto commission won’t pay, then she should sue Jackpocket as well as they took her money for the chance to win the lotto BUT she apparently did not have the chance to win it !!! So it was sold under false pretenses. I’ve used that site many times and have “won” 2, 10, and slightly higher amounts, think the most was $120. They paid off each time SO the lottery commission has a history of paying those winning tickets. I don’t see how they are going to win this in the long run but if they don’t I’d say Jackpocket should be on the hook for it !! Will be interesting to see. Class action suit coming? Only the attorney’s will win then !
It seems to me Texas sold a ticket to someone. Whoever they sold the ticket to should be paid. If that person negotiated a separate contract with a third party, any subsequence enforcement of that particular contract is between them and not Texas.
Controversy over the use of third-party couriers for buying ticket.
Sounds justified
“The Mafia is more honest.”
Im reminded of the guy who acted as the notary public for Carlo Gambino. At the time, the most powerful mob boss in the country.
The notary public guy played the numbers on a regular basis with a mob connected bookie. He played the same numbers with the very same bookie every week for a lot of years. And he always promptly paid off the bookie when he lost.
But one time his number hit and he won over 35 thousand dollars. When he went to the bookie to collect his winnings, the bookie gruffly refused to pay off, insisting the guy never placed a bet with him for those numbers or any other numbers. So, the notary public went directly to Carlo Gambino to complain to him about it.
A couple of days later, the bookie approached the notary public. He was pale, white as a sheet as he handed the notary public an envelope which contained every cent of that 35+ thousand he owed to the guy, insisting he count it to make sure it was the correct amount. The notary public refused, telling the bookie he was sure the entire amount in full was there.
That was the last time he ever saw the bookie. No one knew what ever happened to him, so the Notary Public had to start making his usual bets with a new bookie.
Is the Texas lottery a government operated venture, or has it been farmed out and privatized to a for profit company?
bahahahahaa
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