Texas lottery officials helped companies win a $95 million jackpot. That’s not the only favor they got

Sunday, February 2, 2025 3:05 PM
Photo:  Play Texas Lottery flickr photo by missha shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA) license
  • Eric Dexheimer, Houston Chronicle

On June 30, 2022, Lottery.com’s board of directors convened online for an uncomfortable presentation.

The Austin-based company sold state lottery tickets via its phone app. A month earlier, an in-house lawyer expressed concerns it had violated state and federal laws by selling tickets outside of Texas but then printing and redeeming them in Texas. Lottery.com had hired an outside law firm to investigate.

“What I’m hearing is that there is absolute verification that there are illegal things going on in the company,” a then-board member said, according to a meeting transcript. “I am without words.” The potential for financial regulation violations, she added, “is beyond breathtaking.”