Sun Aug 03 12:10:00 UTC 2025: **Texas Lottery Commission Settles with Woman Denied $83.5 Million Lotto Winnings Amid Courier Controversy**
HOUSTON – The Texas Lottery Commission has agreed to pay Kristen Moriarty nearly $46 million to settle a dispute over her $83.5 million Lotto Texas winnings, which were initially denied due to investigations into online lottery courier services. Court records show the agreement was filed Thursday, and the commission stated it reached the settlement with guidance from the Attorney General’s office. Moriarty, a Houston-area resident, will receive $45.8 million before taxes in a single lump sum.
Moriarty purchased her winning ticket on February 17 through Jackpocket, an online lottery courier service. However, the Lottery Commission refused to pay out the winnings, citing investigations by the Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General’s office into the legality of courier operations.
Moriarty sued the commission in May, expressing frustration at being caught in a political battle. “I’m sad, stressed, angry that this has become a political thing,” she told The Texas Tribune in June.
The use of lottery couriers came under scrutiny after a group purchased 99% of the possible tickets in a 2023 drawing to win a $95 million jackpot. The Texas Legislature recently criminalized courier services and banned the purchase of more than 100 tickets in a single transaction. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick expressed heightened suspicions about courier services after Moriarty’s win, prompting the investigations.
The settlement is one of the last actions for the Texas Lottery Commission, which is scheduled to be abolished on September 1. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will assume responsibility for the state’s lottery and charitable bingo operations. The agreement concludes one of the last controversies that plagued the agency, which resulted in multiple resignations.
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