Latest news with #DawnNettles
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Pensioner brought down pair behind the world's largest lottery scandal
Dawn Nettles discovered the scam used by a London banker and his gambler sidekick who scooped a $57 million jackpot. A London banker and his gambler sidekick who were behind the world's largest lottery scandal were brought down by a 74-year-old woman. Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as 'The Joker', set up shop in several locations in Texas, including a former dentist office where over three days, associates and some of their children manned dozens of machines that worked around the clock, spitting out 100 or more tickets every second. Marantelli and Ranogajec scam resulted in them scooping a $57 million jackpot. It was all made possible because the state of Texas allowed online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. But when seasoned 'lottery watchdog' Dawn Nettles began to investigate, she said: 'There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds'. Dawn dedicates her life to the Lotto Report website, which was first launched in 1998 as a draw results page for players. She spends between 12-24 hours a day monitoring sales of the Texas Lotto for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The retiree always carries her computer with her so she can post the results from anywhere in the country and admits she doesn't go to bed until at least '1 or 2am.' She had been successful in exposing the lottery's wrongdoings and the unfair way it had treated its players. One example included showing a Willy Wonka game that promised a $1billion winner that did not actually deliver any winners. The closest she found was a Texas winner who won $42,500 (£31,000). Dawn was tracking the sale of lotto tickets when she noticed a strange surge in sales. Tickets for the draw on April 19, 2023 surged to an 'unbelievable' $7.3million (£5.3million). She said: 'That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn. 'There was no winner that night so the jackpot was raised to $72million (£53million) for Monday evening's draw. 'Sales were normal considering apps were selling tickets to people across the US. There was no winner on Monday night, so Wednesday's jackpot was raised to $73million. No winner on Wednesday so the jackpot was raised to $74million (£54million) for Saturday's draw. 'But on Friday, the Texas Lottery Commission raised the jackpot to $83million (£63million) and that's when I knew what was going on. I knew someone was buying all the combinations and I also knew on Friday that the commission would increase the jackpot again. And they did, on Saturday – they raised it to $95million (£69million) which I figured was a little too high.' The Mirror reports that Dawn believes Marantelli and Ranoajec waited longer for the jackpot to rollover and increase in value in order to maximise the $26million spent on tickets. The pair had enlisted an online ticket-selling company and put 'dozens' of machines into action to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. In the time between the April 19 draw and the following one, their crew spent an intensive three days purchasing 99.3% of all possible number combinations. With the capacity to turn over 100 tickets a second, their efforts culminated in clinching a $57million (£42million) jackpot, after Texas gave the green light for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. Dawn added: 'I also firmly believed it was an app selling the tickets. I reasoned that the only way they could get all of the combinations into systems electronically. Two years later, we know QR codes were used, 60 to 70 lottery terminals were delivered to four locations and the bad guys were working 24/7 for three days to print the 25million tickets.' The Texas Lottery Commission said there was nothing suspicious about the games. However, lawmakers have blamed Texas Lottery Commission for allowing third-party courier apps to print tickets for customers. It later transpired that the winning ticket was printed in Colleyville and sold by a shop named 'Lottery Now'. Curious to see if the shop actually existed, Dawn hopped in her car and drove to the given address. 'I drove over there on Sunday morning and there was no shop called 'Lottery Now', which was the name the Texas Lottery Commission posted as winning the ticket', she revealed. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. Dawn said: 'There was no retail store at the address the commission provided – it was a small strip office complex. There were no signs indicating someone could buy lottery tickets there. There was no one there and I looked through the window and only saw two desks. 'The Texas Lottery Commission knew exactly where sales were coming from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and they sat back and watched. It made me sick knowing how all this works. 'This was extremely unfair to Texas Lottery players. I knew this on Friday, April 21 when they upped the jackpot from $74million to $83million.' Governor Dan Patrick labelled the crew's win as 'the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas'. In April, the Texas Lottery Commission decided to ban couriers from selling tickets online following several high-profile incidents, including a £70.33million jackpot win in 2023 involving bulk ticket purchases through a courier. The worry over using apps like Jackpocket to buy lottery tickets online through licensed retailers has triggered investigations about potential misuse. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. 'The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,' he stated. Mr Mindell told a Senate hearing earlier in the year a junior employee signed off the request to allow people to rapidly print tickets. The men behind the scandalous lottery scheme have never spoken out. Bernard Marantelli was approached for comment. Dawn confesses she only feels 'partially vindicated' following the ordeal and wants those responsible to be held to account. She added: 'I need to see that those responsible for the many wrongdoings for the past 30 years are held accountable. Will our lawmakers right the wrongs committed against unsuspecting lottery players?'.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Class-Action Suit Against Lottery.com Voluntarily Dismissed by Plaintiff
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inc. (Nasdaq: LTRY, LTRYW) (' or the 'Company'), a leading technology company in digital lottery and sports entertainment, was notified that Plaintiff Dawn Nettles filed a notice on May 30, 2025 that she is 'taking a Nonsuit Without Prejudice Against All Parties Effective Immediately' (the 'Notice') in Case No. 25-BC11A-0026; Dawn Nettles vs. Rook TX LP, Gary N. Grief, Inc. (The 'Suit'). The suit was originally filed in the 333rd District Court in Harris County, Texas and later moved to Business Court Division 11a. It made a series of unfounded allegations against operations and conduct in Texas. The Notice, under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 162, terminated the case effective immediately. Following the dismissal, Gregory Potts, Chief Operating Officer, said: 'I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Nettles earlier this year when I appeared before the Texas Senate Finance committee. She is a long-time advocate for the fair and transparent operation of Texas lottery games, a belief shared by our company, We believe the decision to seek a voluntary dismissal speaks to the lack of any evidence that was engaged in any wrongdoing. We have fully cooperated with all investigations into the April 2023 Lotto Texas drawing, and to my knowledge, there has been no finding against the Company of any of the activities claimed in this lawsuit. Defending the Company in this case would have required us to allocate resources that are better spent on delivering shareholder value. This marks another important step as we continue to rebuild investor confidence and position the family of brands for sustainable growth." About The Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRY, LTRYW) family of brands — including Tinbu and WinTogether, comprise a unified ecosystem that integrates gaming, entertainment, and sports. Follow the Company on X, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, please visit or contact our media relations team at press@ Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 8-K, the words 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'may,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'project,' 'initiatives,' 'continue,' the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. In addition, the Company cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, any future findings from ongoing review of the Company's internal accounting controls, additional examination of the preliminary conclusions of such review, the Company's ability to secure additional capital resources, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the Company's ability to respond in a timely and satisfactory matter to the inquiries by Nasdaq, the Company's ability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, the Company's ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company's ability to become current with its SEC reports, and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading 'Risk Factors' in the Form 10-K/A filed by the Company with the SEC on June 14, 2024, and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that the Company has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. 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Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Class-Action Suit Against Lottery.com Voluntarily Dismissed by Plaintiff
FORT WORTH, Texas, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inc. (Nasdaq: LTRY, LTRYW) (' or the 'Company'), a leading technology company in digital lottery and sports entertainment, was notified that Plaintiff Dawn Nettles filed a notice on May 30, 2025 that she is 'taking a Nonsuit Without Prejudice Against All Parties Effective Immediately' (the 'Notice') in Case No. 25-BC11A-0026; Dawn Nettles vs. Rook TX LP, Gary N. Grief, Inc. (The 'Suit'). The suit was originally filed in the 333rd District Court in Harris County, Texas and later moved to Business Court Division 11a. It made a series of unfounded allegations against operations and conduct in Texas. The Notice, under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 162, terminated the case effective immediately. Following the dismissal, Gregory Potts, Chief Operating Officer, said: 'I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Nettles earlier this year when I appeared before the Texas Senate Finance committee. She is a long-time advocate for the fair and transparent operation of Texas lottery games, a belief shared by our company, We believe the decision to seek a voluntary dismissal speaks to the lack of any evidence that was engaged in any wrongdoing. We have fully cooperated with all investigations into the April 2023 Lotto Texas drawing, and to my knowledge, there has been no finding against the Company of any of the activities claimed in this lawsuit. Defending the Company in this case would have required us to allocate resources that are better spent on delivering shareholder value. This marks another important step as we continue to rebuild investor confidence and position the family of brands for sustainable growth." About The Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRY, LTRYW) family of brands — including Tinbu and WinTogether, comprise a unified ecosystem that integrates gaming, entertainment, and sports. Follow the Company on X, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, please visit or contact our media relations team at press@ Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. When used in this Form 8-K, the words 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'may,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'project,' 'initiatives,' 'continue,' the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release or as of the date they are made. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. In addition, the Company cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, any future findings from ongoing review of the Company's internal accounting controls, additional examination of the preliminary conclusions of such review, the Company's ability to secure additional capital resources, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, the Company's ability to respond in a timely and satisfactory matter to the inquiries by Nasdaq, the Company's ability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, the Company's ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company's ability to become current with its SEC reports, and those additional risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading 'Risk Factors' in the Form 10-K/A filed by the Company with the SEC on June 14, 2024, and the other documents filed, or to be filed, by the Company with the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the reports that the Company has filed and will file from time to time with the SEC. These SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified in to access your portfolio
