Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has announced the passage of Senate Bill 3070, a sweeping legislation that officially abolishes the Texas Lottery Commission. The measure comes in response to what Patrick called “one of the biggest heists ever,” involving a $95 million jackpot allegedly won through questionable practices by a lottery courier service in 2023.
“Remember, in 2023, a courier service took orders from one person for $26,000,001 tickets and won a $95 million jackpot, basically stealing money from all Texans,” Patrick said through a video posted on Facebook. “Well, here we are today. I promised you we would eliminate it if we couldn’t guarantee the lottery commission was an operation you could trust. And that’s what we did today.”
The bill, authored by Senator Bob Hall, transfers all operational authority of the state lottery to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Under the new law, the TDLR will oversee lottery operations during a two-year trial period. The lottery may be permanently shut down if the new system fails to meet transparency and accountability expectations.
Patrick emphasized the depth of the changes. “We’ve abolished the lottery commission,” he said. “We’re moving operations from the state lottery to the Department of Licensing and Regulation.” The legislation also bans all lottery courier services and limits ticket sales to 100 tickets per transaction. “No more people buying thousands or millions of tickets to try and steal a jackpot,” Patrick noted.
Senate Bill 3070 introduces criminal penalties for violating lottery rules and allows top state officials— including the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and speaker of the house— to serve as authorized inspectors. “It authorizes the governor, myself, the attorney general, and the speaker as inspectors,” Patrick stated. “So now I’ll be a lottery inspector, and I can drop in and go anywhere I want to make sure everything is up and up.”
The bill directly responds to the controversy surrounding the 2023 jackpot, which a lottery courier company facilitated. Patrick was denied entry when he attempted to visit one of these courier locations earlier this year. “They wouldn’t let me in the back room to even look at what was going on,” he recalled. “They wouldn’t let me in the back or front door or behind the door or the wall.”
Former Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Gary Grief is a central figure in the unfolding investigation. Patrick confirmed that law enforcement is actively seeking him. “We’re still looking for someone named Gary Grief, the former executive director who’s disappeared ever since that winning ticket for $95 million was sold through a courier service,” he said. “If you know where he is, let us know. The Texas Rangers would love to talk to him.”
Patrick also highlighted that investigations remain ongoing. “The Texas Ranger investigations by Greg Abbott and myself are continuing,” he stated, signaling continued scrutiny into the former commission’s actions and individuals involved.
While the lottery will continue for now, it does so under a strict new framework. “For those of you who like playing the lottery, we’re giving it a two-year trial under a new agency,” Patrick said. “That will strictly enforce these rules and correct everything wrong with the lottery commission for several years.”
Senate Bill 3070 represents one of the most significant overhauls of a state lottery system in U.S. history. With new restrictions in place, a different agency in charge, and a high-profile manhunt underway, Texas has sent a clear message: integrity and transparency in lottery operations are no longer optional.
