Texas Lottery Commission votes to ban lottery couriers

Comment #43

Gambler4Life — Fri, 02 May 2025 05:03:26 GMT

Dang straight!

Btw, 9009 is one of my fav numbers. Play that for the next 3 days nights.

Comment #42

Gambler4Life — Fri, 02 May 2025 04:49:08 GMT

Don't cry for us, Argentina!

We, here in Texas, play Pick 3/Pick 4 four times per day! I prefer Pick 4 . On a winning spree; $1,200 at least four times per month

Comment #41

Gambler4Life — Fri, 02 May 2025 04:43:40 GMT

Hear ye, Hear ye, All cheapskates!

Dollar days are gone FOREVER

Comment #40

Participant — Fri, 02 May 2025 01:14:57 GMT

I agree.

These courier services do not sell sodas, chips etc and they are not in the business for the same reasons that gas stations, truck stops, grocery stores are. They are calculated schemes against the people's franchisees to fairness - veiled, camouflaged, cloaked and disguised as providers of essential services.

The lottery executives moves remains sound and superior and are well warranted under plain common sense, state and federal laws.

Comment #39

Participant — Fri, 02 May 2025 00:59:29 GMT

I agree.

The lawmakers and the lottery authorities have done the right thing.

Comment #38

Justing618 — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:27:41 GMT

Come on man. Your calling people idiots. Not cool. Everyone has there right to their opinion. Like you saying. The jackpots will increase past 10 million. You don't know that for a fact. Because technically it's new up to this point.

Comment #37

garyo1954 — Thu, 01 May 2025 23:07:34 GMT

It doesn't do any good to post links when you choose what you want to read and miss the details that answer your questions.

I posted a link to the article when they identified the Joker, a professional gambler, as the person behind the buy out, (they called it a rigged game, BTB). They also traced how the Money was routed (which answers your question of how we know).

If they were talking to first hand parties, people who were involved, I see no reason to question their investigation or t... [ More ]

Comment #36

Brock Lee — Thu, 01 May 2025 22:20:36 GMT

man, 9% of draw game sales is a lot. these legislators just need to authorize the lottery to sell draw games online directly. convenience store owners put up too much of a fight over it, but players will still have to go to a physical store to buy scratchers.

Comment #35

KY Floyd — Thu, 01 May 2025 21:02:18 GMT

Worse, the jackpot creeps up by $10 million a draw. We'll get to $1 billion by 2026 at this rate.

MM may have to go back to the $2 dollar rate if it takes that long to reach a billion.

Don't hold your breath. The lottery only cares how much revenue they can generate, and the higher price has basically offset the lower sales. Even if the usual revenue is down a bit they won't care, because they're looking for the revenue that results from the big jackpots. It sounds like we've got some... [ More ]

Comment #34

jjtheprince14 — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:38:01 GMT

Good move! I'm all for bans that shut down cheaters.

Comment #33

Justing618 — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:10:27 GMT

As I stated above. Not my tent. Not my circus. I don't play Texas lottery. I was just stating my opinion. But it does make me wonder if they are doing this in different states with different games? But thanks for the reply. And thanks for the link. I'll give it a read! And good luck if you're playing! At the end of the day all the bickering aside. I'm sure we all wanna just win a jackpot. I know I do! Have a great day

Comment #32

Participant — Thu, 01 May 2025 14:25:47 GMT

Both the lottery and the courier businesses have contributed to errant conducts and behaviors that could be deemed to infringe on the antitrust laws.

The conducts, practices and business model of the courier services prevents fairness for the majority of the players and other retailers with just 1 or 2 terminals.

The in-advertent accommodation of the courier services business models by the lottery prevents fairness for the brick mortar lottery retailers.

The 2020 COVID lock down, gav... [ More ]

Comment #31

LottoIntuitive — Thu, 01 May 2025 09:31:39 GMT

No one wants games like the Pick 3 banned because there is no jackpot to buy. The law is stupid to ban Pick 3/4 games from being played through lottery couriers. Stupid ahh Texas government making stupid ahh laws that no one wants. More people win playing the smaller games. No one really cares about the big games because the odds are stupid. Ban those big games if they want, but leave the smaller games alone. That's all they had to do....but nooooo stupid is what stupid does. Texas said, forget... [ More ]

Comment #30

Kate — Thu, 01 May 2025 05:46:24 GMT

I don't think we're actually all that misaligned! It would be horrendous if the Texas Lottery were to be shut down, and it's just as frustrating that the Texas Lottery (and possibly legislature, depending on what comes out of this legislative session) would pick a blanket solution rather than work out the details. It's simply the path of lesser resistance. Just makes you go ugh! I appreciate the different perspectives. I think the part where we disagree on is what the appropriate solution is.... [ More ]

Comment #29

garyo1954 — Thu, 01 May 2025 05:16:13 GMT

Kate, I agree we shouldn't lower our bar, but when government gets involved we have very little say in the outcome.

We accept it or we don't but that's the way it's going to be regardless of our feelings.

As I've said, I don't want to see the lottery gone in Texas. But when it comes to no lottery or no third party couriers, then the couriers need to go.

I'm for whatever keeps the Texas Lottery operating.

As you said yourself there are ways to buyout a game without couriers, but... [ More ]

Comment #28

Participant — Thu, 01 May 2025 04:18:36 GMT

I totally agree.

The objectives and goals of the courier services is unsavory and has absolutely nothing to do with playing to win like every other average player on an equal playing field.

The argument that courier services provide a vital service to those who cant get to the stores is weak, inferior and petty as the same persons who cant get to the stores do in fact get to the stores by several other means and ways to fill the supplies for the support of life with far more important th... [ More ]

Comment #27

Kate — Thu, 01 May 2025 04:13:13 GMT

I hear what you're saying and understand your perspective re: health care as an illustrator to your point, but it seems like what you are saying is that you are fine being complacent with government incompetence. Although you are well within your right, that's not something I can ever agree with.

You are voicing your thoughts in a place solely dedicated to the love of the lottery - while you might interpret the courier issue as a minor inconvenience and view the lottery as inconsequential co... [ More ]

Comment #26

garyo1954 — Thu, 01 May 2025 03:25:34 GMT

Give you a perfect example the elderly/seniors are truly concerned about: healthcare and social security.

Everyone on social security pays for Medicare and some, those below a certain yearly dollar amount also receive free medicaide.

Doesn't matter if you're $1 over, the law says you don't qualify. Thems the breaks kid.

That's the way government works. They call the shots that they see as fair, even when it's not always as fair as the rest of us would like.

Our bar has been low... [ More ]

Comment #25

Kate — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:50:24 GMT

Unfortunately not the way the government works.

So legislators are expected to make decisions on our behalf without carefully considering solutions that would benefit everyone in a logical way?

Oh... I didn't realize that we should lower our bar for government officials who are expected to rationalize nuanced situations rather than sensationalize issues for constituent brownie points.

Comment #24

garyo1954 — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:46:39 GMT

I agree. You can't write a foolproof law that prevents corporations from working through these third party couriers to buy a lottery. Depending on who you believe the courier here used two sites, one in Austin and another in Waco, working around the clock. Another version is they used multiple sites.

So limiting the number of tickets any single terminal can process daily will not prevent the couriers from using more locations. The state and the commission recognized this flaw and saw the ba... [ More ]

Comment #23

Kate — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:43:25 GMT

I'd like to reiterate that banning couriers will not solve the problem. Jackpots have been purchased by a large group (buying all the combinations) without couriers before. Have you read our investigation ? Highly recommend you give it a read for more clarity, it also explains how a buyout was accomplished without the help of a courier and how they are being punished when there is actually a simple fix for it.

Comment #22

sam9009 — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:11:24 GMT

Wow, they got this done really fast. The community is now safer from the dangerous lottery couriers.

Comment #21

Justing618 — Thu, 01 May 2025 02:02:25 GMT

I mean I get both sides of the argument. I guess..... But I don't think a corporation should be able to buy endless amounts of tickets. And i dont think stores should house a buncha machines to give a company an advantage. But then that brings up another problem. Do they cap tickets? Best solution to this problem is limit how many machines per store. And even that's not full proof. But at the end of the day. I don't live in Texas. So its one of thouse its not my tent not my circus situations for... [ More ]

Comment #20

Justing618 — Thu, 01 May 2025 01:48:24 GMT

So a company leases and or buys a building stuffs it full of lottery machines. To print endless amounts of tickets is alright with you? If find it troubling you think it's OK.....

Comment #19

garyo1954 — Thu, 01 May 2025 01:35:43 GMT

That's commendable on a personal level, but unfortunately not the way government works.

Comment #18

Todd — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 23:43:35 GMT

I don't rationalize sidelining people less fortunate than myself by taking comfort in how few of them there are, according to government websites.

Comment #17

garyo1954 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 23:31:53 GMT

When we look at the government websites for homebound Americans the estimates are 36.5 million Americans over the age of 65 with an estimated 3.65 million total being classified as homebound. 3.65 million is the number throughout the entire U.S.

Now we have to determine how many of the 3.65 million have any interest in playing the lottery. I can't find that data.

In any case, homebound elderly is a very small percentage who are not being prevented from buying lottery tickets.

Justif... [ More ]

Comment #16

Todd — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:22:53 GMT

Yeah, who cares if homebound people can't play, because you can make it to the store yourself just fine.

Comment #15

Todd — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:20:50 GMT

The fact that you believe lottery couriers have anything to do with buying all the combinations is troubling, especially with the number of times it has been debunked here.

Comment #14

garyo1954 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 21:16:34 GMT

Point taken (or given). The large corporations don't even play a lottery until it is large enough to provide a profit. The small money every draw players continually contribute and the vultures swoop in to buy it.

In Texas as long as the couriers were responsible in their actions, there was no problem. But once they saw the opportunity to stuff their pockets with state money, they forgot that responsibility.

The small money players lose to the vultures willing to buy a lottery and to the... [ More ]

Comment #13

garyo1954 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 20:51:41 GMT

I agree. We're far from our of the woods. With lawsuits on both sides the state finds itself trying to patchwork their actions to motivate the circumstances.

Texas is turning into the battle ground between states and third party couriers. Couriers realize if they lose here their existence nationwide is endangered. If the states lose it becomes open season on any and all lotteries by those who have the money to buy it.

It's in the interest of the small money players not to be taken in.... [ More ]

Comment #12

rcbbuckeye — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:47:43 GMT

I've got a feeling we're not out of the woods yet as to whether the lottery is going to survive in Texas. There are legislators that have wanted to kill it and with it being zeroed out of the budget, this may be it. Time will tell.

Comment #11

Justing618 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:41:25 GMT

You feel bad that a corporation can't swoop in and buy all the winning combinations? I just wish out of state players could play game from different states. Perfect example is my state switched to random number generator games. I would like to have the option to play ball draw games in a different state. Because my state no longer has them. But I know it would turn into the Texas situation. Mabye one day they will figure something out. But it's definitely not going to be today.

Comment #10

EnReval — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:53:17 GMT

Comment #9

noise-gate — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:44:08 GMT

* l wonder if AG Ken Paxton had anything to do with this, he's notorious for sticking his nose in stuff he should leave well enough alone. Just saying..

Comment #8

garyo1954 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:43:25 GMT

For now, we still have a lottery. I think that's what all the wrangling is about. The lawsuits have forced the states hand to protect the people of Texas.

Texas has the 4th largest lottery in the nation, about $8.5 billion annually. Don't think it will collapse losing $173 million.

It's also a win for the brick and mortar retailers, many of who are local mom and pop operations. That lottery ticket sale to them means additional revenue in the form of soda, chips, a sandwich, etc. Third pa... [ More ]

Comment #7

wander73 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:48:01 GMT

they're not going back to $2. Wish it was $3. that option.

Comment #6

Todd — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:46:36 GMT

I feel bad for Texas residents losing access to lottery couriers. This was all started because of that jackpot buyout, and the lottery allowed people who have no idea what they're talking about to convince legislators to think couriers had something to do with it. I like the folks at the Texas Lottery, but this one is on them. Sadly, the lottery will lose revenue and Texas residents will be disenfranchised and lose access to a valuable service.

Comment #5

heisenberg991 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:09:10 GMT

MM may have to go back to the $2 dollar rate if it takes that long to reach a billion. Like kill it in a few months while PB surges past by.

Comment #4

Justing618 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:08:15 GMT

Why would you want an entity playing. That can buy every possible combination

Comment #3

Justing618 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:06:12 GMT

The people have spoken! 5 bucks is ridiculous! I miss the dollar days...

Comment #2

JohnGalt3 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:22:52 GMT

Meanwhile, Megamillions sales are still 50% lower in the number of tickets sold since the increase to $5.00 per ticket change.

Worse, the jackpot creeps up by $10 million a draw. We'll get to $1 billion by 2026 at this rate.

Comment #1

mypiemaster — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:20:27 GMT

Not a very good idea. Just regulate them. I hope this is not some abracadabra to enable them to wiggle out of paying the big winner.

Texas Lottery Commission votes to ban lottery couriers

Lottery Post — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 10:32:51 GMT

That's it for courier services unanimous decision kicks couriers out of Texas

Includes video report

By Kate Northrop

The Texas Lottery Commission voted to officially ban lottery couriers in Texas and approved rules that allow the agency to take action against the license of any retailer in violation.

It's official lottery couriers are banned in Texas after the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) formally voted to approve a policy change proposed in February.

During the TLC meeting... [ More ]