The Texas Lottery has banned online lottery ticket sales by third-party courier services, effective immediately, following concerns raised by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and lawmakers about the integrity of lottery operations. The new policy prohibits retailers working with couriers from selling tickets and will revoke their sales agent licenses. Courier services purchase lottery tickets from retailers, charge a fee, and provide scanned copies to buyers, holding the tickets until the drawing. Lawmakers criticized the practice, arguing that it circumvents the state law intended for direct sales to individuals at retail locations.
After facing backlash from senators, the lottery commission sought a legal opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton and lawmakers filed bills to curb courier services. State Rep. Matt Shaheen, who introduced legislation to ban online lottery ticket purchases, commended the commission’s decision. He also proposed a bill to eliminate the lottery altogether, claiming it targets low-income Texans. The lottery contributes about $2 billion annually to fund Texas schools, equivalent to five days of the school year.
The scrutiny increased after courier services won large jackpots, raising suspicions about the integrity of the lottery. Lt. Gov. Patrick publicly criticized the lottery officials for their slow response and accused them of allowing courier services to undermine the game’s integrity. The lottery commission is expected to discuss further amendments at a meeting on March 4, with a 30-day public comment period before final adoption in April. Patrick has made it clear that the lottery’s sunset bill will not be approved unless the issue of couriers is addressed.
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