The drama around lottery couriers in Texas continues as the state’s Lottery Commission heard the viewpoint from the companies themselves during a public hearing.
The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers (CTLC) aired its views during the meeting with the Texas Lottery Commission last week, coming at a time of heightened scrutiny on the companies.
Rob Porter, Chief Legal Officer for Lotto.com and a representative of the CTLC at the meeting, asserted that couriers have acted with ‘integrity and transparency’ over the years.
“There’s certainly not a justification for taking this drastic step of banning a lawful practice, one that has been recognised to be lawful for a period of several years,” he said.
Integrity put to the test
Texas legislators and policymakers alike have fixed their crosshairs firmly on the lottery sector of late, with the integrity of couriers and retailers both questioned.
In the case of couriers, this is because of a high-value winning ticket being purchased in February 2025 by a woman using Jackpocket.com, one of the biggest online lottery courier apps.
The ticket was then delivered to the woman by a Jackpocket.com courier, who had purchased the ticket at a store owned by the company. This has led to concerns about the potential lack of integrity around this transaction, which is being investigated by the Texas Rangers.
Meanwhile, retailers in general have faced criticism for over two years after a huge buyout saw a group of wealthy individuals successfully purchase the winning ticket of a $95m jackpot by buying over $25m worth of tickets.
Following these scandals, the Texas Lottery Commission has been preparing to outright ban lottery couriers in the biggest challenge these companies have faced in years of expansion across the US.
Additionally, Bill 1346 was subsequently proposed to the Texas Congress by Senator Bryan Hughes. The Bill has broad support, and if passed will place hefty legal penalties on retailers which breach lottery integrity conditions.
The lottery couriers themselves – with Jackpot.com, Jackpocket and Lotto.com represented by the CTLC – are now making a last-minute case to the Commission in a bid to retain a foothold in the US’ third largest state.