Texas House passes $337 billion budget that defunds Texas Lottery

Comment #41

MzDuffleBaglady — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 01:56:39 GMT

Texas Lottery executive director resigns in latest fallout after controversial jackpots

Comment #40

rcbbuckeye — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 23:47:49 GMT

Just saw the notice on Tx Lottery website.

Not too surprised.

I havent heard anything about Gary Grief.

Comment #39

garyo1954 — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 23:37:01 GMT

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Ryan Mindell has resigned as head of the Texas Lottery Commission.

Comment #38

Lavender Roses — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 18:55:58 GMT

Agreed, that would make more sense. The lottery should fund the lottery. Wonder what the funds to support the schools veterans programs will come from. Increase in property tax, a special tax

Comment #37

Loteriaplayer1 — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:32:15 GMT

But, they need to agree on the sunset review if they wanna continue with the lottery. Its hard to do.

Comment #36

PrisonerSix — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 00:24:40 GMT

Texans can play the Louisiana Lottery instead like they did before Texas had a lottery. Come on over

Comment #35

raincrow — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 22:35:58 GMT

Way to go Texas! Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

Comment #34

parlayman — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:14:14 GMT

Is the Texas lottery losing money

Comment #33

Participant — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:50:12 GMT

I agree. imposing these limits will cause and force those who have provoked and angered the Texas Lottery and the lawmakers to look elsewhere for their feasts of illicit scam on the lottery.

Comment #32

garyo1954 — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 01:48:20 GMT

The saving grace seems to fall on the Texas Lottery embracing and stringently enforcing the changes.

That would include limiting the number of terminals on a site, limiting the number of tickets any terminal can print/sell in day, and disallowing third party couriers.

Since the new executive director has effected these and given his word to the Senate he will follow whatever recommendations they give, it seems both sides are looking for an equitable solution.

Comment #31

Participant — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:40:15 GMT

I totally agree with you that there are other ways to address the issues that the Texas lottery is facing including the amendment of the rules.

I do not know how the Texas lottery rules reads and what aspects of it could be modified.

The reasons why the PB and MM can't be bought out as you have correctly noted are at least the following:

1. The shear volume of tickets(combinations) that must be purchased to cover all the combinations is daunting with PB at 292.201338 and MM at 302.6... [ More ]

Comment #30

JustMaybe — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 18:17:28 GMT

Thank you for the ethical perspective.

I totally support that.

However, I feel there could be other avenues to address that, including amendment to the rules etc.

It's hard to buy out PB and MM and entirely closing shop does not give those games a chance and the people of Texas as well.

My thoughts.

Comment #29

Participant — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:26:46 GMT

The LA Tourism board should consider rewarding you for promoting Tourism to the Pelican State.

Comment #28

PrisonerSix — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 15:15:03 GMT

Another option is to drive I-10 or I-20 to Louisiana. We have Powerball and MegaMillions among other games. Check out our casinos as well

Comment #27

rcbbuckeye — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:25:44 GMT

Thx, it's only about a 30 drive. Years ago before TX had PB I would drive up there to get PB tix when the jackpot got big. Might even hit Winstar at the same time.

Comment #26

Participant — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 04:46:55 GMT

I think that the factor that players are in the games as equals, is no longer sustainable as a higher theme or anthem as a result of the recent controversies surrounding the Texas lottery, Currier services and professional gambling establishments and the profits made by the lottery is now inferior to the greater more honorable act of honest services to the people by the lottery.

The lottery after all is a product of legislation designed to benefit the people with complete undiminished fairne... [ More ]

Comment #25

Coin Toss — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:17:55 GMT

rcbbyuuckeye,

No need to do that, why not be 'the house' and book action on 'policy'?

True gamblers will always find action somehow.

As the saying goes., let them pick their own losers!

That's what the lotterties are doing

Comment #24

Stack47 — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 02:36:19 GMT

When KETK asked State Representative Donna Howard what the intent of defunding the lottery was, she said she didn't know.

About sums it up nicely.

Comment #23

LottoIntuitive — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 02:34:43 GMT

It's stupidity like this that makes the Texas government suck so bad.

Comment #22

mypiemaster — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 00:40:13 GMT

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Comment #21

JustMaybe — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 22:29:51 GMT

Oh my goodness, now I get it.

Thanks Kate for being gracious in the response.

Never say never, but with that explanation of what defunding means, I highly doubt that would happen.

Wishing all Texas players a good outcome.

In the meantime I need to win me some jackpot

Comment #20

Kate — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:36:40 GMT

That's a really good question! Thank you for raising it so politely :)

You're right in that the Lottery technically doesn't need funding from the state's general revenue to operate in a traditional sense. Rather, it's a state agency that requires appropriation authority to spend the money it generates from ticket sales.

So when there are talks of defunding, it basically means that the Lottery would no longer have the authority to spend the money it collects. In other words, it wouldn't b... [ More ]

Comment #19

CDanaT — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 20:48:01 GMT

Thats ok RCB, send me your funds, I can even get you some Lotto America tickets to replace your TX lottery. Odds are almost identical.

Comment #18

lakerben — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 20:18:05 GMT

They are doing a dodge to the lottery. Like with the national scene I smell a skunk

Comment #17

JustMaybe — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:50:31 GMT

In FY24, the Texas Lottery transfered 1.98B to the Foundation School Fund and 26.8M to the Texas Veterans Commission.

How does an entity that transfers 1.98 Billion of it's sales to education need support?

If for instance the State allocates 300M to run the Lottery, my simple logic is that the lottery should deduct the 300M from it's school funds and the State would spend that 300M on education.

Otherwise it feels like just money changing hands. From the lottery to the schools and fr... [ More ]

Comment #16

Brock Lee — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:32:17 GMT

in retrospect i should have said rhymes with fawn kettles.

i agree with justmaybe that a lottery should be able to support itself without state funding. any state lottery that needs additional funding from the state must not be running as efficiently as it could be.

Comment #15

noise-gate — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 19:24:01 GMT

l wonder if all State lotteries are funded by the respective States. To my knowledge the CA lottery receives no funds, yet it survives. Can the Texas lottery survive without State funding

Comment #14

garyo1954 — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:54:18 GMT

Lucky most everyone knows who you are talking about. If it were a Wheel of Fortune puzzle people would be burning effigies of you in boxers!

As I mentioned in the other thread the Sunset Review had already raised questions about the direction the lottery was going prior to this mess.

Senator Bob Hall was quoted earlier this year saying, We'll zero out the budget.

I can see it happening. This item is making international news and everybody in state government appears out of touch wit... [ More ]

Comment #13

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:39:02 GMT

Looking more and more like I'll be making the drive up I-35 to OK.

Comment #12

Wavepack — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:26:08 GMT

If the Texas Lottery Commission gets no operating budget, then they should shut down lottery operations and watch the heat rise on the crummy politicians. Operating budget will be restored in short order.

Comment #11

lakerben — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:56:36 GMT

They probably won't.

Comment #10

vtburke — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:49:59 GMT

Who penned this uninformative article?? Nowhere does it say what the actual funding amount for the Texas lottery is

Comment #9

JustMaybe — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:46:05 GMT

Please do not kill me, kindly understand my ignorance.

Based on how often I loose, the lottery to me seems to be a profit making institution.

It's because of that, that they are able to do all the good work that they do.

They wouldn't do that if they entirely made losses.

The lottery takes some % of the sales for administrative purposes.

So then my question is, why would any lottery need State funding when the lottery itself is supporting the State to do some of the work... [ More ]

Comment #8

lakerben — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:37:27 GMT

They tried this in NM and failed. Hopefully it doesn't pass.

Comment #7

winsumloosesum — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:24:13 GMT

Texas Lottery website:

So where does Texas make up the difference for school funding if the Texas Lottery goes away? Texas Veterans

Supporting Texas Education Veterans

Since 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $40 billion in revenue for good causes in the state of Texas, including education, veterans' services and other important state programs. Through strict adherence to our vision, mission and core values, the Texas Lottery is dedicated to ensuring that these benefits... [ More ]

Comment #6

Todd — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:20:15 GMT

I would not mention that attention-seeking fraud's name here.

Comment #5

Brock Lee — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:03:04 GMT

person will have to relocate to a new state. (are we allowed to say her name here?)

i wonder if the texas government can work out a compromise where just the multistate games are still allowed to operate.

Comment #4

swampdog39 — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:15:58 GMT

politicians will make more money with the casino's now.

Comment #3

mypiemaster — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:53:34 GMT

When Texas politicians started doing the Texas 2 step with their responsibilities, you should already know that nothing positive is going to come out of it for their constituents. Politicians SMH.

Comment #2

LottoNoobie — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:56:43 GMT

Am I understanding this correctly.. in two more years, there will be no more lottery in Texas

Comment #1

Todd — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:09:18 GMT

Texas House passes $337 billion budget that defunds Texas Lottery

Lottery Post — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:01:14 GMT

House approves amendment that zeros out lottery funding

By Kate Northrop

In the early hours of Friday morning, the Texas House of Representatives passed a two-year $337 billion budget that would effectively eliminate all funding for the Texas Lottery.

On Friday at approximately 3:00 a.m., the Texas House approved a spending plan that excludes the Texas Lottery from budget considerations.

Lawmakers put the Texas Lottery on the chopping block when a State Representative proposed a