Texas woman sues for $83.5 million in lottery winnings

Powerball lottery tickets are being sold at a gas station in Houston, Texas in 2022, according to a photo by John Angelillo/UPI.

A Texas woman has filed a lawsuit against the state’s lottery commission for failing to pay her $83.5 million, three months after she held the winning ticket in a February Lotto Texas drawing, as stated in court documents. The lawsuit mentioned that Texans expect to receive their winnings when they win the lottery without having to resort to legal action. The woman, known as Jane Doe in the court papers, stated that she purchased her ticket through an app called “Jackpocket” from Winners Corner, an Austin-based third-party lottery retailer, on February 17 and presented it to the commission on March 18. The Texas Lottery Commission later announced the ban on purchasing lottery tickets through unregulated ticket courier services like Winners Corner. The court records in the woman’s lawsuit indicated that the commission did not inform her that her ticket was invalid at any point. Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned that the state might be looking into the woman’s ticket, emphasizing the importance of Texans being able to trust the state’s lottery system. The lawsuit argued that the state should not be allowed to retroactively alter rules and claimed that the commission is trying to avoid paying the woman her winnings. The lawsuit also highlighted the resignation of Texas Lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindell in April amid ongoing investigations. Only three states, New York, New Jersey, and Arkansas, regulate lottery courier services.