$1 Million Texas Lottery Winner as Scandal Continues Brewing

While there were no matches for all six numbers from the March 8 drawing of the Texas Lottery, five PowerBall numbers were matched for a $1 million win.  

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This comes in the shadow of a scandal that has rocked the Texas Lottery and has its tentacles extending worldwide.

Two major lottery drawings in Texas that put nearly $180 million in the pockets of winning ticket holders have set off widening state investigations over concern that ticket sellers and buyers may have exploited the rules.  There are reports that millions of dollars worth of lottery tickets were purchased.

The Texas Lottery, one of the largest in the U.S., is facing mounting scrutiny from state leaders over how the winners of an $83 million jackpot this month and a $95 million prize in 2023 purchased their odds-defying tickets. Both are among the largest jackpots in the history of the Texas lottery.

At the heart of the issue, Texas officials say, is whether the games are on a level playing field.  The companies that purchase lottery tickets for customers remotely, also known as couriers, are at the heart of the investigation.

The scandal stretches back to April 2023, according to The Houston Chronicle.

The Houston Chronicle report details how a parimutuel betting site from England (Colossus Bets) and a software provider from Malta (Spinola Gaming) allegedly colluded with one another to purchase 25.8 million tickets (at $1 each) for a Lotto Texas draw — resulting in the $95 million jackpot win.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is launching an investigation into the matter. 

“I’m deeply concerned about the integrity of our state’s lottery system, especially when it appears that non-citizens have shown that they are attempting to rig the system to win on demand,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Texas citizens deserve far better than bad actors getting rich off of a lottery system that is open to exploitation, and we will hold anyone who engages in illegal activity accountable.” 

As for this past week's winning Powerball ticket,

that was purchased at the Dry Creek Exxon (formerly a Shell station), located on Dry Creek Road in northwest Austin.

Whoever purchased the winning ticket did not spend the extra buck to opt in for the Powerplay multiplier. That means the winner missed out on doubling his or her winnings to $2 million.