Gary Grief Indicted Over $58 Million Texas Lottery Jackpot Scheme
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 15
Gary Grief Indicted Over $58 Million Texas Lottery Jackpot Scheme
7 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 15
$57.8 million in winnings from a 2023 Texas drawing is at the center of new Travis County indictments accusing former lottery chief Gary Grief and the now-defunct Texas Lottery Commission of abusing their offices.
Prosecutors say the commission helped professional bettors in Europe buy tickets covering nearly every possible number combination for a $95 million drawing, making a jackpot win effectively certain; Grief had said more than 99% of combinations were sold.
The winner, Rook TX of New Jersey, claimed the lump-sum prize before taxes, while Grief has argued the arrangement was legal and boosted revenue for Texas schools and veterans by ensuring every ticket was sold.
The jackpot triggered political backlash, investigations and the dismantling of the commission, with lawmakers saying the plan defrauded ordinary players and damaged confidence in the lottery.
An April indictment was briefly dropped before an apparently identical case resurfaced under seal; Grief's lawyer says he cooperated with investigators and calls the prosecution a search for a scapegoat.
Beyond one rigged jackpot, how deep did the alleged fraud in the Texas Lottery's scratch-ticket games actually run?
Was the Texas Lottery's $58M guaranteed jackpot a crime, or a state-approved strategy to boost school funding?