Texas Lottery Settles $46 Million Controversy with Winning Ticket Holder

HOUSTON, Texas – The Texas Lottery Commission will pay nearly $46 million to Kristen Moriarty, a Houston-area resident who faced delays in receiving her winnings from a winning ticket. The settlement was officially filed in court on Thursday.

Moriarty purchased her winning Lotto Texas ticket, valued at $83.5 million, on February 17 through the online service Jackpocket. However, the lottery commission refused to pay the winnings, citing investigations by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General‘s office into the legality of courier operations in Texas.

After months of uncertainty, Moriarty took legal action against the commission in May, stating she felt trapped in a situation she did not create. “I’m sad, stressed, angry that this has become a political thing,” Moriarty said in June. “I’ve lost faith in our elected officials.”

The controversy surrounding Moriarty’s case was fueled by legislative scrutiny regarding courier services that sell lottery tickets. Recent legislation has banned couriers and restricted the number of tickets that can be purchased in a single transaction, causing suspicion among lawmakers.

The payout of $45.8 million, before taxes, marks one of the last actions of the Texas Lottery Commission, which is set to be abolished on September 1. The state’s lottery and charitable bingo operations will transition to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, although details on the shift remain unclear.

This settlement resolves one of the significant controversies surrounding the lottery commission since January, contributing to its upcoming dissolution.