The Texas Lottery Commission is up for review, and lawmakers are reportedly considering cutting the lottery amid various scandals over the past few months.
The Sunset Commission is set to review the Texas Lottery and determine the efficacy of the agency, which is an occurrence that takes place every 12 years, according to NBC DFW.
The purpose behind the commission, according to its website, is to “periodically evaluate a state agency to determine if the agency is still needed,” with the Texas Lottery now scheduled to be up for review.
Sunset Commission reviews also allow the commission to determine “what improvements are needed to ensure that state funds are well spent.”
This review comes as the Texas Lottery deals with multiple scandals and lawsuits filed against the agency in recent weeks.
One of the most notable lawsuits comes from lottery winner Jerry Reed, who alleges retailers and the betting company orchestrated a scheme to purchase $25 million worth of tickets and secure nearly every possible combination to guarantee a victory, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Reed claims that he only received roughly $7.5 million in prize money as a result of his victory, but he would have received closer to $100 million if this scheme had not been conducted.
Similarly, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick displayed concerns in February about the integrity of the Texas Lottery after discovering that a winning ticket was sold behind the wall in the back of the store.
Recently, there have been many questions raised about the integrity of the Texas Lottery. Last night, an $83 million winning ticket was sold in Austin. Turns out, the retail establishment that sold the winning ticket in the front of the store was owned by the courier service that… pic.twitter.com/i4MyR2wQXd
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) February 19, 2025
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, these lawsuits and ongoing scandals involving the Texas Lottery prompted Ryan Mindell to step down as executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission.
Mindell had previously faced hours of questioning from both the Texas Senate and House of Representatives regarding the various scandals.
State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) was blunt while discussing the outcomes of the Texas Lottery scandals and reflected the public statement during a portion of a hearing.
“You’re taking the public money, and you’re letting a few people come in and scam the public. You know, normally … we’d put them in prison. I lost money, and I want my money back,” she said, as reported by The Dallas Express.
