Lottery Big-Shot Resigns After Largest Theft in Texas History

Austin, Texas - Ryan Mindell, the executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC), announced his resignation Monday morning amid a series of wild scandals throughout the state-funded body.

Bad timing? Or was the water getting too hot?

Back in 2023, a single buyer purchased approximately 25.8 million single-dollar Texas lottery tickets to secure the $95 million jackpot. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick called it the "biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas."

Representatives of Bernard Marantelli, a London-based trader who led the consortium to purchase $25.8 million worth of tickets, argue that Marantelli didn't do anything illegal.

Most think otherwise...

The Texas Lottery is currently under investigation by the Texas Rangers, the Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Attorney General's Office. It's safe to say, everyone is pretty pissed off at them.

Could this be the end for the Texas Lottery?

Republican state Senator Bob Hall welcomed Mindell's resignation and also said he was in favor of doing anything to put an end to the Texas lottery altogether, hoping to do more to protect money going to Texas veterans.

The Texas Legislature set the budget for the Texas Lottery Commission to $0 for 2 years, beginning last September, likely in the hope of bankrupting them until they come to a compromise.

Are you still going to play the Texas Lottery?

Do you still trust it? Why or why not? I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a comment below this article or email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com, then keep scrolling for more Texas-based news in the galleries below.