“In Texas, unless you’re a Texas lottery, a transaction is a transaction,” the lawsuit states.
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The resignation of Texas Lottery Executive Director Ryan Mindel comes after questions about the legitimacy of the Texas Lottery earlier this year.
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The Texas lottery player is pursuing legal action against state authorities and claims he has not received a multi-million dollar award since his victory.
The nameless woman is suing Sergio Ray, acting assistant executive director of the Texas Lottery Committee. In a lawsuit filed May 21 and acquired by USA Today, she alleges that she has not been paid as a “just and uncontroversial winner” of the $83.5 million prize.
The woman first purchased tickets for the “Loto Texas” lottery on February 17th through the mobile app Jackpocket.com. According to filing, the courier service has been in use for many years, “to legally purchase Texas lottery tickets.”
After learning that she had a winning number, the woman went to the Texas Lottery Committee on March 18th to win the award. The victory is also highlighted on the official Texas Lottery website.
“The committee has carried out a ticket verification procedure and has determined that the plaintiff is the legal player of the winning ticket,” the document states. “Sergio Ray, the committee, or anyone intended to act on behalf of the committee, never advised that the ticket for victory was invalid. No illegal surveillance or other illegal activities obtained through fraud have been involved in the procurement of the victory ticket.”
In a statement to USA Today, the Texas lottery said it “does not comment on the pending lawsuit.”
The woman’s lawsuit calls the Texas Lottery failed to pay “illegal”
A few days after the woman bought her winning ticket, Ryan Mindel, the currently resident executive director of the Texas Lottery, ruled that lottery ticket courier services were banned, according to the lawsuit and local news station KVUE.
The change in the rules prompted the committee to “refusing to pay lottery prizes” by the way tickets are purchased, the lawsuit alleges that the lack of action is “illegal.”
“They are simply stonewalling the winners, stalling, not taking responsibility, not acting with integrity,” the filing continued.
The woman is demanding full prize money, attorneys’ fee compensation, and permanent injunctive relief.
“In Texas, unless you’re a Texas lottery, a transaction is a transaction,” the lawsuit states.
Taylor Ardley is a news reporter for USA Today. You can contact her at Tardrey@gannett.com.
