Texas Lottery Commission director resigns amid lawsuit over controversial jackpot
Ryan Mindell’s resignation follows controversy over sales across state lines and the actions of a consortium that bought every possible ticket.
US.- Ryan Mindell has announced his resignation as executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) amid allegations of AML failings at the government-run lottery linked to a controversial 2023 jackpot. Deputy executive director Sergio Rey will serve as acting executive director, and the commission board will consider a selection process for a new executive director at its next open meeting on April 29.
Mindell joined the commission in 2016 as deputy general counsel and was promoted to deputy executive director before taking over from Gary Grief, who retired last year. His resignation comes amid a class-action lawsuit over the operation of the Texas Lottery.
Last year, the Houston Chronicle broke the news that a group of investors called Rook TX allegedly spent $25.8m to acquire all possible $1 ticket combinations to secure a $95m jackpot in 2023. The group is suspected of using official printing terminals operating continuously to generate the required tickets.
A class-action lawsuit has been brought by Texas lottery players, who claim that the May 2023 jackpot prize was diminished because of the actions of Rook TX and a group of lottery retailers. Rook TX, which is led by London-based trader Bernard Marantelli, is accused of collusion, while TLC is accused of having failed to act on potential money laundering risks.
Grief is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit amid claims that the Texas Lottery was open to manipulation and the sale of lottery tickets outside of the state and the US.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office and Texas Rangers continue to investigate, with probes underway into third-party courier apps used to purchase tickets, one of which was involved in a separate disputed $83.5m jackpot earlier this year.
The investigations and pending lawsuit have led the state to ban lottery ticket couriers. The ban, ordered by governor Dan Patrick, will come into force on Tuesday April 29.
