The Texas Lottery Commission recently announced that it believes third-party lottery games services, known as couriers, are illegal under state law. This marks a significant shift from their previous stance of claiming they had no authority over these services. The decision comes after years of maintaining that they could not regulate couriers. However, the commission now plans to revoke the lottery license of any stores that sell tickets to a courier. Executive Director Ryan Mindell stated that the crackdown on couriers is in response to concerns from stakeholders and aims to improve the public’s perception of Texas Lottery games.
Criticism of the commission’s handling of the issue persists, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick personally investigating a recent $83.5 million jackpot won through a ticket sold by a courier. The state law requires lottery tickets to be purchased in person, but couriers allow customers to buy tickets remotely and send a picture of them. The commission believes that couriers circumvent several provisions of state law and is seeking an opinion from the Attorney General’s office to clarify their authority over these services.
Legislation has been introduced in the Texas Senate to ban couriers, while a bill in the House proposes creating a state licensing system for couriers. The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers, representing the three largest couriers in Texas, expressed their commitment to finding responsible ways to implement the practice. They contribute significantly to lottery ticket sales in the state. The commission plans to adopt official rules banning the use of couriers by April.
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