Texas Sen. Bob Hall laid out his case for abolishing the Texas Lottery altogether in a committee hearing on Monday, calling it an “illegal organized crime” operation.
Hall is the author of SB1988, which proposes abolishing the state lottery and shutting down the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) by January 1st, 2026.
Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery"This is in reference to a 2023 incident in which a group of individuals spent $25 million to purchase 99% of winning lottery ticket combinations and netted a $95 million jackpot.
He alleged that TLC staff were complicit in the “illegal organized crime lottery operation” and that, “There is no way to reorganize, restructure or restore the integrity of the government-run Texas Lottery.”
Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery"Texas Lottery scandal
Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery" Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery"Hall also accused third-party couriers of taking part in the criminal activity. He stated, “The courier companies were the middleman between the groups and advanced lottery commission officials were deliberately indifferent. At worst, they were co-conspirators in the vastest financial crime since Enron.”
Last month, the TLC voted to ban courier services, such as Lotto.com, from operating in the state. Lotto.com is challenging the legality of this move in court.
Texans gambling in high numbers
Last year, Texans bought over $8.9 billion worth of lottery tickets, marking the second-highest year of ticket sales. With no Texas online casinos gamblers play the lottery, or turn to alternative platforms, such as sweepstakes. It is estimated that unregulated gambling platforms generated over $4.5 billion in the state last year.
Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery" Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery" Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery" Texas Senator Says State Must Abolish "Illegal Organized Crime Lottery" games are currently legal in 45 states.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
