Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has issued a statement following the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 28, which bans lottery couriers in Texas. The bill, authored by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, aims to address concerns about the Texas Lottery Commission's operations.
"Over the past weeks, scrutiny has correctly increased on the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and their inability to restore public confidence in their operations," said Patrick. He referenced an incident in April 2023 when a foreign syndicate purchased 26 million $1 tickets for a $95 million prize within 72 hours of the winning numbers being announced. Patrick criticized the Lottery Commission for allowing this to happen and providing assistance in printing these tickets at various courier locations.
Patrick and Governor Greg Abbott have called for a Texas Rangers investigation into this event and the entire Lottery Commission dating back to 2016. That year, rule changes allowed couriers to buy and print tickets via phone apps.
Senate Bill 28 follows a previous attempt by Sen. Hall with SB 1820, which passed the Senate but failed in the House. "Sen. Hall...passed SB 28 to put an end to couriers once again; the bill passed the Senate 31-0," Patrick said.
Patrick recounted visiting a lottery courier location where he observed numerous terminals rapidly printing tickets, noting that he was not permitted to take photos or ask questions during his visit.
"For years, the Lottery Commission said they could not regulate lottery couriers even though the commission paved the way for them to creep into Texas," Patrick remarked. After releasing a video highlighting these issues, he noted that "the Lottery Commission announced they were ending all courier services in Texas."
Patrick emphasized that jackpots are funded by ticket buyers rather than state funds and expressed concern over potential misuse of lottery operations as criminal enterprises.
"The Texas Lottery cannot continue unless the people of Texas have faith that the game is not rigged...or used as a criminal enterprise," he asserted.
The Senate's passage of SB 28 marks what Patrick described as "the first step in restoring public trust" in the commission, with further decisions regarding the lottery's future pending legislative discussions.
Senate Bill 28 prohibits lottery couriers from operating by banning online sales or purchases of lottery tickets.
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