Login | June 28, 2025
Texas lotttery legal dispute
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal Tech News
Published: June 27, 2025
When it comes to playing the lottery, the odds are definitely against you. But imagine winning more than $80 million and having to go to court to collect the money.
That’s exactly what happened to a woman who won the Lotto Texas jackpot on Feb. 17, 2025.
According to a May 29 story on FindLaw written by Kit Yona and reviewed by attorney Joseph Fawbush (https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/a-whole-lotto-trouble-in-texas-as-winner-sues-for-jackpot/), she’s suing the Texas Lottery Commission to collect her $83.5 million prize.
At the center of the lawsuit is the commission’s Feb. 24 announcement, which banned the use of lottery ticket courier services.
Jane Doe’s lawsuit argues Sergio Rey, the acting deputy director of the commission, is not protected by sovereign immunity, and seeks injunctions to keep Rey from disbursing her winnings to anyone but her.
According to the story, Lotto Texas has three drawings a week. To win the jackpot, the player has to match six balls chosen from a pool of 54.
While many purchase their tickets from licensed retailers, others like Jane Doe relied on lottery ticket courier services, most of which are apps that charge a small fee for each ticket.
Some states have regulations in place governing the use of these services, but Texas wasn’t one of them when Doe bought her winning ticket from Jackpocket.
The service (Jackpocket) had reportedly sought to obtain the authorization or a license to operate in the state back in 2018, but was informed the commission didn’t regulate lottery ticket courier services.
The Feb. 17 ticket contained all six of the matching numbers and was the only winner of the jackpot.
The announcement that the state was banning the use of lottery ticket courier services came a week after the drawing.
Despite the change, the woman argues the Texas Lottery Commission validated her ticket on March 17. Still, she says, the commission has refused to pay and hasn’t responded to her communications.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has reportedly suggested that officials are looking into the matter.
But the woman isn’t waiting around. In addition to seeking injunctions to keep Rey from allocating her funds elsewhere, the lawsuit asks for attorneys’ fees.
As the dispute plays out, the story notes the commission’s website still shows a single winner in the Feb. 17 drawing, which one would imagine would help her case.