Texas to examine lottery jackpots as questions

Cnn
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The governor of Texas has instructed the state law enforcement authorities to examine two controversial lottery jackpots, while the role of online ticket companies in the state is increasingly being examined.

The Republican governor Greg Abbott asked the Texas Rangers to examine two jackpots with virtual ticket sales: the 83.5 million dollars price this month and a jackpot of 95 million US dollars from 2023 by a group of investors . According to government officials, both cases influence the public's trust in the lottery.

“The Texans must be able to trust in the lottery system of our state and know that the lottery is carried out with integrity and lawful,” Abbott said on Monday in a press release when legislators the Texas Lottery Commission due to failed regulation – Lottery -courier blew.

Lottery cards can be bought practically in Texas with companies known as Lottery Courier Services. Couriers collect tickets for customers in physical shops that they often own. Critics argue that practice makes it impossible to check the legality of the buyers and is susceptible to money laundering.

Lottery Couriers, who have been working in the state since 2019, became a focus in April 2023 after a single company with a Courier service bought 25 million lottery tickets in less than 72 hours, reported the CNN partner WFAA. The investor doubled his money because the jackpot was so high and the winner took 57.8 million US dollars home before taxes, said WFAA.

Courier Services are operated in 19 states, as reported from a report on the program guideline of 2023 Florida analysis and state accountability.

Only three states – New York, New Jersey and Arkansas – regulate the courier service industry, according to a report by Texas in Texas in Texas. Without these regulations in Texas, couriers do not have to receive a license or approval from the Texas lottery for the company, the report said.

The likelihood of winning the Lotto -Texas game is 1/25.827.165, although these opportunities can be improved by buying several tickets, and according to WFAA there is no limit to the number of tickets that a person can buy .

According to Texas House House Report, Courier Services contributed 101 million US dollars in the first seven months of the 2023 financial year in the first seven months of 2023.

The winning ticket for the 83.5 million dollar price this month was acquired via a courier service in a retail business in Austin, WFAA reported.

Clark Smith, Commissioner of Texas Lottery, resigned under the growing controversy on Friday, according to the WFAA.

Texas Lottery is moving to banned Courier services to operate in the state, “to ensure that all ticket sales of the state legal and agency regulation and maintaining public trust,” said Ryan Mindell, Executive Director of Texas Lottery Commission .

“Lottery Courier Services working in Texas were important for many of our stakeholders. Previously, the agency had interpreted its authority in such a way that it did not extend to the regulation or the prohibition of these services, ”said Mindell in a press release.

After a review of the state lottery law and “information from the latest retailers examinations”, however, the Commission will revoke the license of a retailer who works or supports with a courier service, “said Mindell.

The coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers described the announcement of the lottery commission in a declaration reported by WFAA as “abrupt, disappointing and unnecessary”.

“Lottery couriers have been working legally and responsibly in Texas since 2019, while they always maintain a transparent and professional relationship with the Texas Lottery Commission,” said the group.

“During this process, the TLC claimed not to have a supervisory authority on courier activities, although the continuing inquiries from Couriers, as well as we are in other countries, regulate.”

The Republican Lt. -GouVerneur Dan Patrick struck Texas Lottery's announcement in a contribution to social media. “In my 18 years I have never read so much garbage from a press release from the state agency,” Patrick wrote. “Today's action is an obvious admission that the Texas Lottery Commission had all the time through the supervisory authority and allowed these companies to sneak into Texas and undermine the integrity of the Texas lottery.”

In another article, Patrick asked Texas Rangers to expand her investigations beyond the two specific incidents to “expand all matters in connection with the lottery commission, first of all, the lottery cure according to Texas and all possible crimes inside or externally from the lottery measures -Commission enable. Or to act failure. ”

Last week, Patrick visited the Austin individual trading business in Courier, who sold the $ 83.5 million ticket, and questioned one of his employees about how the company works in a video published on social media.

This story has been updated with additional information.