Jackpot payout pending amid state investigation

By Kate Northrop

A woman who came forward to claim an $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot this week says she was denied a payout while the win undergoes a state investigation.

The winner, who allegedly purchased the sole jackpot-winning ticket through a lottery courier in February, has taken to speaking with media outlets to voice her frustrations with having her win scrutinized and being delayed in receiving a prize payout.

She spoke with the Austin American-Statesman alongside her lawyer, Randy Howry, on the condition that her name not be revealed to protect her identity. Lottery winners of $1 million or more can claim prizes anonymously in Texas.

In her interview, she said she purchased $20 worth of lottery tickets on a mobile app she uses on and off to play Lotto Texas and scratch-off games.

The winner's purchase through the mobile app seems to have swept her into unrelated events involving an overseas group that "purchased" a different large Lotto Texas jackpot by buying up all the possible combinations.

In April 2023, a purchasing group spent nearly $26 million to buy over 99% of all possible number combinations for a $95 million Lotto Texas drawing. Although they did not buy the winning ticket through a lottery courier's app, they accomplished the massive undertaking with the aid of some couriers' automated ticket printing capabilities in a separate arrangement.

When this winner's $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot was purchased through a lottery courier app in February, it amplified scrutiny against courier services, despite there being no evidence of another jackpot buyout attempt.

A statistics report released to Lottery Post from the Texas Lottery Commission confirmed that only 5% of all possible combinations were sold in the Lotto Texas drawing on Feb. 17, 2025.

Yet, this anonymous player says she is being penalized for doing nothing wrong.

"I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed," she told the American-Statesman. "And now I'm just angry."

Since the drawing, state legislators have hurled accusations of fraud and corruption at the Texas Lottery and couriers alike, prompting a move to ban lottery couriers and a call from one senator to defund the Lottery entirely.

The Texas Lottery confirmed that the holder of the Feb. 17 Lotto Texas jackpot-winning ticket has come forward, but the claim is currently being reviewed under the Texas Lottery Commission's claim validation requirements.

"The Commission evaluates all prize claims in accordance with its standard procedures," Lottery Media Relations Division Director Steve Helm told Lottery Post. "Timelines on prize payments can vary depending on the circumstances of each claim."

This prize claim will be subject to the usual Texas Lottery validation procedures that all winners undergo, but due to pending litigation and ongoing investigations, the Lottery declined to say whether it is being treated any differently than other Lotto Texas jackpot claims.

The claim is also the subject of an external investigation, Helm said in a statement to Lottery Post.

In February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Ranger Division, a law enforcement agency in the state of Texas, to investigate both the $95 million and $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot wins.

"I'm disappointed. I'm very disappointed," the woman told the American-Statesman, who expressed frustration that her payout was delayed due to the investigation. "I think that this is just a political game that they want to play."

She said that she is being unfairly punished for others' actions. The two separate jackpot wins highlight a stark contrast between a London-based betting company funding a jackpot buyout and an individual lottery player who simply got lucky.

"I literally spent $20. I didn't spend $26 million to run every single possible combination of numbers," she added in her interview. "If you [the Texas Lottery Commission] didn't do an investigation into the [April 2023 jackpot winner], that's on you. That's not my fault."

Howry explained to the newspaper that the Lottery did not provide the winner with a timeline for when she could expect to receive her payout, nor did they say whether she would receive a payout at all. He and his client are not satisfied with leaving it to chance, either — they are considering taking legal action to ensure she receives the winnings.

"I do know where the courthouse is, and that's certainly an option that we're strongly considering," Howry said to the American-Statesman. "If our client's getting lumped in with some of this other behavior and lottery players buying bulk tickets, we want to distinguish we're not that person. We're the regular person who plays the lottery and gets lucky and wins. And we should get paid."

Howry did not respond when Lottery Post reached out directly for comment.

Opponents of lottery couriers argue that app-based ticket sales allow the sale of lottery tickets to underage individuals or those located outside the borders of Texas. However, courier companies utilize checks in their services to ensure players are of legal gambling age and are located within the state, such as identity verification, geolocation technology, and safeguards against VPNs.

The anonymous woman underscored that she abided by law when purchasing her ticket — that she is over 18 years of age and had purchased her winning ticket within the state of Texas.

Should she receive her winnings, she hopes "to do things for [her] children" and for their families.

"I had always said, 'If I ever won the lottery, this is what I want to do,'" she emphasized. "It's, it's not about material things. It's about doing things that will leave a lasting impact for people in the future."