Austin, Texas – The Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission resigned, the last shake in the state betting of the State’s gambling in the middle of multiple Balloon investigations In 2023, a total of almost $ 200 million, and the calls of some legislators close it.
The lottery announced the resignation of Ryan Mindell on Monday without comments. A former deputy director and director of operations of the lottery, Mindell had occupied the best work for only one year after the abrupt resignation of his predecessor.
He leaves when the agency faces at least two investigations ordered by Governor Greg Abbott and the state attorney general Ken Paxton in the integrity of the Lottery Awards, and how the State managed the introduction of messaging companies that buy and send tickets in the name of online customers.
Companies and lottery officials have denied irregularities. But Texas State legislators are considering forcing several changes, ranging from a legal prohibition of sales through messaging companies to closing the agency by removing all their funds.
The Texas lottery was established in 1991 and sends a part of its annual income to public education. In 2024, that meant around $ 2 billion sent to the State Public Schools.
But two of the greatest boats in the history of the agency caused scrutiny flares and criticisms of the media, legislators and state officials who question if they earned a lot and if messaging companies should afford.
First, a major award of $ 95 million was awarded in 2023 when the winners bought almost all possible combinations, more than 25 million of them. In February, he won a $ 83 million ticket with a ticket purchased at a messaging store. The chain that operates the store has locations in six states.
An investigation by Houston Chronicle initially detailed the purchase efforts behind the 2023 major prize, but it was the second that finally caught the attention of the prominent state legislators, as well as the governor and the state attorney general. An agency that generally attracts little attention beyond the millions it gives in Jackpots and Scratch-Off Ticket Games was suddenly under fire.
ABBOTT ordered the agency to apply the State Texas Rangers Law to open an investigation, and PAXTON announced an investigation by the State Attorney General’s Office. Those remain in progress.
A Texas Lottery spokesman rejected more comments on Mindell’s resignation. The Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to an email in search of comments.
Meanwhile, the Legislature has held public hearings to scold lottery officials for allowing the use of messaging companies to overlook the state law that requires tickets to be bought in person. Mindell had told state legislators in February that the agency had previously determined that it did not have the authority to regulate messaging companies, but said the agency would now move to prohibit them.
State legislators are approaching the last month of their biennial session and have threatened actions that range from writing a prohibition of messaging of state law, or even more drastic measures, such as closing the lottery completely.
The state Senate has already approved a prohibition of messaging sales, but the measure has not yet received a vote in the Chamber. The Chamber and the Senate will soon negotiate a final version of the two -year state budget. The house version currently does not include money for the agency, which would effectively close it.
But that effort is likely to be more a message that legislators are serious about making changes than to seriously think about closing an agency that generates billions in sales and for public schools annually.
State law allows Texas boats to be claimed anonymously, and the April 2023 prize was collected two months later in the form of a single payment of $ 57.8 million to a company called Rook Tx.
However, the payment of the February Jackpot is waiting for state investigations. A lawyer of a woman who says she celebrates the winning ticket has said that she was legally bought between a group of 10 that she bought through The Courier Sakepocket.
