A woman who won a $83.5million (£64.5m) lottery jackpot may never receive her winnings as officials investigate her "suspicious" win.
The woman, from Austin, Texas, who remains anonymous, purchased her winning ticket for the February 17 draw using Jackpocket, a third-party lottery courier app.
Despite presenting her ticket at the lottery's headquarters in Austin, she was sent away empty-handed whilst investigations continue.
"I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed, and now I'm just angry," the woman told the Austin America-Statesman in the presence of her lawyer, Randy Howry.
"I literally spent $20. I didn't spend $26m to run every single possible combination of numbers."
Seven days after her victory, lottery officials announced they were investigating two major wins due to "money laundering" concerns.
The woman's win fell under scrutiny despite occurring before this announcement.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott then directed Texas Rangers, the state's law enforcement, to investigate her lottery win alongside a previous $95m jackpot from April 2023.
Two days later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxman announced his own investigation into both wins.
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According to the woman's lawyer, the Texas Lottery Commission's general counsel stated they would not decide on paying out the winnings until the Texas Rangers complete their investigation.
The Texas Lottery Commission has been moving to ban lottery courier services like Jackpocket in the state.
On February 24, the commission proposed rule changes to revoke the licences of retailers working with third-party operators.
Four days later, state senators unanimously voted to criminalise lottery couriers.
If passed, acting as a courier for pay would become a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
An estimated two million Texans use lottery courier services.
The woman maintains she is the rightful winner of last month's draw.
"Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don't think mine is one of them," she said.
"This is an opportunity for me to do other things with my life and I want to be able to go do those."
Her lawyer, Howry, added: "We played by all the rules, and we're still playing by all the rules and we expect that my client should be paid."
Howry told local media that if the jackpot was not paid out within three days, the typical timeframe for winnings, his client would consider all options, including litigation.
Jackpocket has now suspended operations in Texas, stating: "Despite our proven track record of compliance and commitment to responsible gaming, the Texas Lottery Commission has issued a new policy prohibiting our services."
Find Out More...
The woman, from Austin, Texas, who remains anonymous, purchased her winning ticket for the February 17 draw using Jackpocket, a third-party lottery courier app.
Despite presenting her ticket at the lottery's headquarters in Austin, she was sent away empty-handed whilst investigations continue.
"I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed, and now I'm just angry," the woman told the Austin America-Statesman in the presence of her lawyer, Randy Howry.
"I literally spent $20. I didn't spend $26m to run every single possible combination of numbers."
Seven days after her victory, lottery officials announced they were investigating two major wins due to "money laundering" concerns.
The woman's win fell under scrutiny despite occurring before this announcement.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott then directed Texas Rangers, the state's law enforcement, to investigate her lottery win alongside a previous $95m jackpot from April 2023.
Two days later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxman announced his own investigation into both wins.
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According to the woman's lawyer, the Texas Lottery Commission's general counsel stated they would not decide on paying out the winnings until the Texas Rangers complete their investigation.
The Texas Lottery Commission has been moving to ban lottery courier services like Jackpocket in the state.
On February 24, the commission proposed rule changes to revoke the licences of retailers working with third-party operators.
Four days later, state senators unanimously voted to criminalise lottery couriers.
If passed, acting as a courier for pay would become a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
An estimated two million Texans use lottery courier services.
The woman maintains she is the rightful winner of last month's draw.
"Sometimes there are reasons to investigate things, but I don't think mine is one of them," she said.
"This is an opportunity for me to do other things with my life and I want to be able to go do those."
Her lawyer, Howry, added: "We played by all the rules, and we're still playing by all the rules and we expect that my client should be paid."
Howry told local media that if the jackpot was not paid out within three days, the typical timeframe for winnings, his client would consider all options, including litigation.
Jackpocket has now suspended operations in Texas, stating: "Despite our proven track record of compliance and commitment to responsible gaming, the Texas Lottery Commission has issued a new policy prohibiting our services."
Find Out More...