Texas Lottery chief resigns amid courier jackpot controversy
Ryan Mindell has stepped down from his role as Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission, following mounting scrutiny over the use of lottery couriers and a controversial $95 million jackpot win.
The resignation, effective immediately, was confirmed by Commission Chairman Robert G. Rivera on Monday.
Mindell’s departure comes less than a year into his tenure, as state officials investigate how a European group legally secured a jackpot in April 2023 by purchasing all 25.8 million possible $1 ticket combinations.
The consortium is believed to have used licensed courier service retailers operating official lottery terminals around the clock to print the tickets.
The fallout has prompted wider concerns over how such courier services are used in Texas.
These companies, like DraftKings-owned Jackpocket, purchase tickets on behalf of players and manage the redemption process.
Although legal and licensed by the Texas Lottery, critics argue that their operations — particularly those that mass-produce tickets — warrant stricter oversight.
“The group was guaranteed to win the $95 million prize,” said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who called it “the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas.”
The controversy has been further fueled by a separate unresolved case involving an $83.5 million win.
A woman who bought tickets through Jackpocket has yet to receive her prize, pending multiple investigations.
Her attorney, Randy Howry, said she has “played by all the rules” and is now “caught in the crossfire” of the political fallout.
As part of the shakeup, Chief Financial Officer Sergio Rey has been named Acting Deputy Executive Director while the Commission decides on a permanent replacement at its April 29 meeting.
Meanwhile, the Texas Attorney General’s Office and Texas Rangers continue their investigation into courier-related operations and ticket printing practices.
The Texas Legislature has also taken a strong stance, allocating zero dollars to the Lottery Commission for the next two fiscal years beginning September 2025 — pending further action.
State Senator Bob Hall didn’t mince words: “I am in favor of doing anything that puts an end to the lottery in Texas while we protect the money that was going to veterans.”
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