Texas lottery winner on delays in $83M prize payout: 'I've lost a lot of faith'
Texas lottery winner on delays in $83M prize payout: 'I've lost a lot of faith'
A woman is suing the Texas Lottery after winning $83 million. The Montgomery County resident won back in February but was told she can’t be paid because of a state investigation.
DALLAS - A woman is suing the Texas Lottery after winning $83 million. The Montgomery County resident won back in February but was told she can’t be paid because of a state investigation.
Texas Lottery Lawsuit
What we know:
The lawsuit was filed against the Texas Lottery Commission earlier this week by a woman who is listed as Jane Doe. She claims she still has not been paid.
The backstory:
Jane Doe won $83 million in February after purchasing a ticket on the Jackpocket Lottery App.
$83.5M Lotto Texas winner still awaiting payment: FULL
A Lotto Texas winner, who chose to remain anonymous, is still awaiting payment after her win sparked controversy among state leaders. Now, she's suing the state. FOX 4's Steven Dial talked to the woman and her lawyer, Randy Howry, about her wait to receive her prize money and being caught in the middle of a political fight.
The app is really a courier service. A customer pays for a ticket through the app, and the company sends a representative into a store to complete the transaction.
Jane Doe’s ticket purchase was completely legal.
Texas Lottery Commission votes to ban lottery couriers
The Texas Lottery Commission has voted to ban the use of lottery couriers in Texas.
But the courier process is now under scrutiny by Texas lawmakers.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went to the Austin store that sold Jane Doe’s ticket because he said he was concerned about how the winning ticket was purchased.
It turns out the store was owned by the parent company of Jackpocket. And while up front it sells games and puzzles, Lt. Gov. Patrick said he saw multiple machines in the back printing lottery tickets.
Texas Lottery win raises concerns from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: 'Doesn't look right'
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he is concerned about fairness and transparency after an $83.5 million-winning ticket was sold to a courier service that also owns the store where the ticket was bought.
Patrick acknowledged all of this may have been legal, but he said it violates the spirit of the lottery – the idea that customers should buy tickets in person from places like grocery stores or gas stations.
As a result, the Texas Lottery Commission banned the use of couriers, and lawmakers began pushing a bill to change oversight of the lottery system.
Texas Senate approves legislation to shut down Texas Lottery Commission
The Texas Senate has approved legislation that would shut down the Texas Lottery Commission.
Jane Doe’s Jackpot Story
What they're saying:
FOX 4 spoke to Jane Doe and her lawyer with the agreement that she would not be named, and her face would not be shown. She is concerned about her safety if and when she receives her winning payout.
She said she didn’t find out about her big win until she got an email at work the next day.
"I clicked on it and there was confetti and, ‘Congratulations, you won $83.5 million,’" she said. "And a coworker was sitting on her desk next to me, and she rolled over and she looked at it and she said, ‘Oh my God!’ And that’s when I realized, okay, this is real."
Jane Doe, who has used Jackpocket multiple times in the past, spent $20 on her winning ticket.