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Imagine winning a jackpot this big, and they won’t give you the money . . .
A woman in Texas hit the lottery last month for $83.5 MILLION. But they still haven’t paid her, and there’s a chance they WON’T.
She bought the ticket through a “courier” app called Jackpocket that’s owned by the gambling site DraftKings. You pay through the app, and they send someone to go buy your ticket for you.
Lawmakers in Texas have been moving to ban the app, and apps like it, partly because Texas state law says you have to pay CASH for lotto tickets. Around 9% of tickets sold in the state are bought through one.
The state senate recently passed a bill that would have banned them. But the house didn’t pass it, so it never became law. But now after the woman’s win, the lottery commission announced THEY are banning them, so Jackpocket stopped operating in Texas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott launched an investigation into the win, and that’s why she hasn’t been paid. The lottery says they won’t pay up until the investigation is over. And she’s not the only one they’re investigating.
They’re also looking into a big lotto win from 2023, where a company in New Jersey bought so many tickets, they basically guaranteed a win. They spent $25 million and won a $95 million jackpot. So they beat the system, and officials don’t like it.
The woman’s lawyer says her case is totally different. But she’s not getting paid, at least for now.
