Latest news with #LottoTexas
Edinburgh Live
13-07-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Super sleuth uncovers 'world's largest lottery scandal' after £42m jackpot
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A 74-year-old woman who uncovered the "biggest lottery scandal in the world" has revealed the exact moment she realised winners had been "cheated" by a London banker. The brains behind the Texas Lottery stunt was former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, assisted by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as "The Joker." Determined to topple the Texas Lottery, Marantelli enlisted the help of Ranogajec to fund their audacious plan. Their strategy involved purchasing every possible lottery number at $1 a ticket, aiming to bag the $95million (£70 million) jackpot. To execute this, they devised a method to utilise "dozens" of official ticket-printing machines. This was feasible because, at that time, Texas permitted online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. With the assistance of one vendor, the pair printed vast quantities of tickets during an intense three-day operation. Marantelli and Ranogajec set up shop in a disused dentist's office and a warehouse in Texas, where their team printed thousands of tickets per minute, inching towards the 25.8 million different number combinations. However, it wasn't until the Lotto Texas jackpot hit a whopping $73million (£53million) on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, with no winner declared, that suspicions were raised, leading to the prize pot rolling over, reports the Mirror. On Sunday, the lottery jackpot soared to a massive $95million (£70million), which caught the attention of Dawn Nettles, an experienced "lottery watchdog". She noted, "There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds". Dawn has devoted her life to running the Lotto Report website, established in 1998 initially as a simple draw results service for lottery enthusiasts. Her daily routine involves a rigorous 12-24 hours scrutinising Texas Lotto sales for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. The dedicated retiree never parts with her computer, ensuring she can update results from any location across the states, and confesses that her bedtime rarely comes before "1 or 2am." Her efforts have previously uncovered several instances of misconduct by the lottery and unfair treatment of its players. For instance, she highlighted a Willy Wonka game that falsely advertised a $1billion prize when, in reality, no such winners emerged. The highest prize she discovered was a Texan who bagged $42,500 (£31,000). While monitoring lotto ticket sales, Dawn detected an unusual spike. On April 19, 2023, ticket sales for the draw astonishingly hit $7.3million (£5.3million). She speculated, "That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn". Despite the surge in sales, there were no winners that evening, prompting the jackpot to climb to $72million (£53million) for the following Monday's draw. "Sales were typical, given that apps were flogging tickets to punters across the US. With no lucky winner on Monday night, Wednesday's jackpot was bumped up to a cool $73million. Still no winner come Wednesday, so Saturday's draw saw the prize pot swell to $74million (£54million). "But things took a turn on Friday when the Texas Lottery Commission hiked the jackpot to $83million (£63million) - that's when I twigged what was happening. I realised someone was snapping up all the combinations and had a hunch that the commission would give the jackpot another boost. And sure enough, they did on Saturday – they jacked it up to $95million (£69million), which seemed a tad excessive." Dawn suspects that Marantelli and Ranoajec bided their time, waiting for the jackpot to roll over and grow in value to get the most bang for their $26million spent on tickets. The duo enlisted an online ticket-selling firm and set "dozens" of machines whirring away to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. Between the April 19 draw and the next one, their team embarked on a gruelling three-day spree, snapping up 99.3% of all possible number combinations. Armed with the ability to spit out 100 tickets a second, their relentless efforts paid off, bagging them a staggering $57million (£42million) jackpot after Texas gave the thumbs up for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. Dawn shared her initial belief that an app was behind the ticket sales, reasoning, "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 has defended the integrity of their games amidst scrutiny. Yet, legislators have pointed fingers at the Texas Lottery Commission for letting third-party courier apps churn out tickets for punters. The plot thickened when it emerged that the jackpot ticket came from Colleyville, courtesy of a vendor named "Lottery Now". Driven by curiosity about the shop's existence, Dawn set off to the listed location. Upon arrival, she discovered a lack of any storefront named "Lottery Now", which was the moniker the Texas Lottery Commission had associated with the winning ticket, stating, "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". Instead of a retail outlet, Dawn found a nondescript office strip, devoid of any indication that lottery tickets were sold there, recounting, "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." Reflecting on the oversight by the Texas Lottery Commission, Dawn expressed her dismay: "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." The controversy surrounding the Texas Lottery has escalated as one player expressed their dismay at the jackpot increase: "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 has fiercely criticised the recent lottery win, calling it "the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas". In a move to address growing concerns, the Texas Lottery Commission in April put a stop to couriers selling tickets online after incidents like the £70.33million jackpot win in 2023, which involved bulk purchases via a courier. Amidst rising anxiety over the use of apps such as Jackpocket for online ticket purchases through licensed retailers, investigations have been launched into potential abuses. The situation led to Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell resigning in April, amidst grave worries about the impact of courier services. Mindell made a statement highlighting the threat posed by these 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,". During a Senate hearing earlier in the year, Mindell revealed that a junior employee had approved a request that enabled rapid ticket printing. The individuals implicated in the notorious lottery scheme have remained silent, with Bernard Marantelli being sought for a statement. Dawn, caught up in the fiasco, admits to feeling only "partially vindicated" and strongly desires accountability for those involved. She further stated: "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?".
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'World's largest lottery scandal' unmasked as banker and sidekick win £42m
The mastermind behind the lottery stunt turned out to be former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as 'The Joker' A 74-year-old woman who exposed the "biggest lottery scandal in the world" has shared the precise moment she realised winners had been "cheated" by a London banker. The mastermind behind the Texas Lottery stunt turned out to be former London banker-turned bookmaker Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as "The Joker." Marantelli was determined to try and take down the Texas Lottery and turned to Ranogajec, who helped bankroll the cunning plan. The pair aimed to buy every possible lottery number at $1 a ticket, to try and win the $95million (£70 million) jackpot. To pull it off, they worked out a way to use "dozens" of official ticket-printing machines. This was all made possible because at the time, the state of Texas allowed online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. With the help of one vendor, the duo printed huge reams of tickets during an intensive three-day operation. Marantelli and Ranogajec would set up a shop in an old dentist's office and a warehouse in Texas. Their crew printed thousands of tickets a minute to try and edge towards the 25.8million different number combinations. But it wasn't until the Lotto Texas jackpot reached a staggering $73million (£53million) on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, that suspicions arose. With no winner announced, the prize pot rolled over. On the Sunday, the jackpot rose to $95million (£70million), prompting 74-year-old Dawn Nettles, a seasoned "lottery watchdog", to investigate. "There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds", she explained. 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. 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). "That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn", she revealed. "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." Dawn believes the 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. "I also firmly believed it was an app selling the tickets", Dawn said. "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. "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
13-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Lottery results: Powerball, Lotto Texas winning numbers for July 12, 2025
The Texas Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here's a look at July 12, 2025, results for each game: 08-16-24-33-54, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 2 Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here. The next Powerball drawing is on Monday, July 14, 2025 at 10:12 p.m. 06-28-32-34-38-50 Check Lotto Texas payouts and previous drawings here. Morning: 8-1-2, FIREBALL: 9 Day: 8-0-5, FIREBALL: 0 Evening: 0-3-4, FIREBALL: 9 Night: 0-0-0, FIREBALL: 3 Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Morning: 4-1-2-3, FIREBALL: 2 Day: 5-6-6-9, FIREBALL: 1 Evening: 3-9-9-9, FIREBALL: 3 Night: 3-2-9-3, FIREBALL: 1 Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Morning: 02-04-05-08-09-11-13-16-17-21-22-24 Day: 03-04-05-06-07-13-16-18-21-22-23-24 Evening: 02-03-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-18-19-20 Night: 01-03-08-09-11-13-14-16-18-21-23-24 Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here. 14-16-19-28-31 Check Cash Five payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Texas editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas Lottery results: Powerball, Lotto Texas winning numbers for July 12, 2025
Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Lottery winner lands huge £65m jackpot prize - but she doesn't receive a penny
The woman, from Texas, filed the legal action after she bought a lottery ticket using a third-party carrier app. The eye-watering prize has been left unpaid for months A furious lottery winner has launched a lawsuit against a jackpot commission after she claims her £65m prize had been left unpaid for three months. The woman, from Texas, filed the legal action in Montgomery County on May 19 after she bought a lottery ticket on February 17 for the "Lotto Texas" game using a third-party carrier app, Jackpocket. According to the lawsuit, the woman purchased her winning £65 million ticket via the app, which was legal at the time. However, just a week after her win, the lottery commission banned the courier service over its legality. The lottery winner, only identified in the case as "Jane Doe", had verified her win on March 18, but the Texas Lottery Commission has withheld payments. The lawsuit alleges they are retrospectively applying new rules to invalidate her win, which she claims is illegal. The unhappy woman previously said: "I've gone through frustration and being sad and stressed, and now I'm just angry. I literally spent $20. I didn't spend $26 million to run every single possible combination of numbers." "Every Texan knows what that should mean when it comes to the lottery – if you win, you should get paid," the suit says. "It shouldn't take a lawsuit to get paid when you win the lottery. But that's exactly what has happened here.' It comes as the Lottery Commission's recent ban on third-party services has led to several investigations and resignations. In April, the commission voted to prohibit couriers from selling tickets online following several high-profile incidents, including a £70.33 million jackpot win in 2023 involving bulk ticket purchases through a courier and this latest £65million win. The concern over using apps such as Jackpocket to purchase lottery tickets online through licensed retailers has sparked investigations about potential misuse. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced authorities would be investigating the woman's winning ticket. "Texans must be able to trust in our state's lottery system and know that the lottery is conducted with integrity and lawfully," the governor said in a statement in February. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell resigned in April following serious concerns of 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 said in a statement. A spokesperson for the commission said the lawsuit is 'being reviewed under the Commission's claim validation requirements and is the subject of external investigation. "The agency does not have additional information to provide, as it does not comment on pending litigation and investigations," the spokesperson added.
The Hill
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Judge orders Texas Lottery Commission to protect $83.5 million of disputed funds won in February jackpot
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — A Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and its acting executive director from spending any of the $83.5 million a Houston woman won in a February Lotto Texas jackpot. None of the jackpot has been paid out because the Texas Rangers are currently investigating the win — along with an April 2023 jackpot win — to see if there was any foul play involved. The judge wrote in the ruling that the Texas woman 'will be irreparably harmed if Defendant Sergio Rey, in his official capacity as acting executive director for the Texas Lottery Commission causes the $83,500,000 jackpot prize to be diminished, wasted, or paid to another before the merits of Plaintiff's claims are fully and finally adjudicated.' The ruling comes the same day a bill to end the TLC was sent to the Governor's desk for final approval. Senate Bill 3070 would eliminate the commission and transfer the operation of the lottery and charitable bingo to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Randy Howry, the lottery winner's attorney, said he believes the restraining order will also apply to the TDLR if the Governor signs the bill into law. The restraining order has a limited lifespan. In this case it will only last three days because there is an evidentiary hearing on June 5 for a temporary injunction. A temporary injunction would protect those funds until a trial can happen. Howry and his client are worried the February lottery winnings could be spent on other winners or pay for other costs within the commission as it faces extinction. 'We're doing everything we can to protect these funds,' Howry explained. The Texas woman won the Feb. 17 lottery drawing worth $83.5 million. The woman purchased $20 worth of tickets on the Jackpocket app, a service that allows players to buy tickets over the phone. Those services are known as lottery couriers and they have become the target of lawmakers this session who believe they are against the laws written in the state and believe the lottery commission acted beyond its means to allow couriers to operate in Texas. Some lottery courier services were involved in helping a single entity, known as Rook TX, purchase and print more than $25 million worth of tickets in a 72-hour time span in April of 2023. That number of tickets nearly guaranteed the entity would have the winning ticket for a $95 million jackpot. This session lawmakers have questioned the TLC and its commissioners about how something like that could happen. Lawsuits have been filed against those courier services and the former executive director of the commission. In February, a week after the Texas woman won the jackpot, the TLC said it was banning lottery courier services and the Governor directed the Texas Rangers to investigate those two wins. Howry said he and his client were told by the commission they could not be paid out while the Rangers investigated. However, Howry says he and his client have not been questioned by any agency regarding the February drawing.
