Texas Woman denied lottery jackpot, could this happen in New Jersey?

💲 Texas woman denied $83.5 million jackpot
💲 Winning ticket was purchased through an app
💲 Could this happen in New Jersey?

I don’t play the New Jersey Lottery often, but I admit I give into the hype and buy a few tickets when the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots soar. (Hey, somebody has to win!)

Most often when I buy tickets, I go to the Jackpocket app on my phone. It’s fast and easy and I don’t need to leave the house.

You also don’t need to check your tickets. Jackpocket emails you if you win.

There is always a little rush when you check your email in the morning when you see, “Congratulations, you won a prize!”

For a split second, you can dream you won the mega jackpot and how you’re going to spend all that money.

Then you check the app and find out you won $1. Oh, well, there’s always next time.

But imagine if you really DID win!

That’s what happened to a woman in Texas.

She says she used the Jackpocket app and purchased $20 of tickets to an $83.5 million jackpot whose winning numbers were drawn on Monday, Feb. 17.

Can you imagine her excitement?

Then she was told they weren’t paying.

Just days after she won the jackpot, the Texas state legislature began questioning the use of so-called third-party couriers to purchase lottery tickets.

The woman, who is remaining anonymous, told the Austin-American Statesman, she did nothing wrong.

She and her attorney are currently negotiating with Texas Lottery officials, and it is unclear if the state will pay her winnings.

Why does Texas have an issue with couriers?

The controversy started after a third-party courier was used to make a bulk purchase of lottery tickets to a Texas jackpot in 2023. The tickets included a $95 million winning ticket.

Gov. Greg Abbott says the tickets included “nearly every possible number combination” and ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate.

Texas lottery officials have now banned third-party couriers to purchase tickets to state lottery games.

“Texans must be able to trust in our state’s lottery system and know that the lottery is conducted with integrity and lawfully,” Abbott said in a news release.

Could this happen in New Jersey?

Lottery officials here say, no.

Unlike in Texas, New Jersey registers and authorizes third-party courier services to operate in the state.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Lottery says that a critical difference.

“Lottery couriers that are registered by the New Jersey Lottery, such as Jackpocket, are legally authorized to operate in New Jersey,” the spokesperson said, “If a player purchases a winning ticket from a registered courier, there is no reason to expect issue with paying a winning ticket.”

There are currently four companies authorized as third-party couriers by the New Jersey Lottery.

They are:

Jackpocket
Lotto.com
Jackpot.com
The Lotter

The New Jersey Lottery may also begin selling ticket on their own website, but that option is currently not available.

“While the Lottery Commission authorized online sales by the Lottery, our timeline has not been established,” the Lottery said.

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