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Lawsuit acuses Texas of misusing lottery fundsNews Story
A lawsuit filed by a watchdog group seeks to block the State of Texas from making more payments to a Las Vegas law firm hired a year ago to draft legislation to legalize video slot machines.The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Russ Verney of the national watchdog group Judicial Watch, contends that the state exceeded its authority when it agreed to spend lottery proceeds to pay the firm.The Texas attorney general's office hired the law firm Lionel, Sawyers and Collins to develop legislation that would
Dec 17, 2004, 3:13 pm - Lottery News

Texas Mega Millions lottery sales strongNews Story
Texas Lottery players wanted larger jackpots, and that's exactly what they got with the Mega Millions game. One year after Texas joined the multi-state game, lottery officials say it's a hit.With Mega Million jackpots being so high, any Texas lottery player would get excited.Lottery officials brought the multi-state game to Texas last year to keep Texans from chasing large out of state jackpots. Players talk with their dollars, and their dollars have spoken loudly to the tune of almost $300 mil
Dec 8, 2004, 12:55 pm - Lottery News

Texas Lottery cuts 33 jobsNews Story
Officials say overhaul unrelated to controversial lobbying contractIn a shake-up billed as a reorganization, the Texas Lottery Commission eliminated 33 jobs Thursday, saying it will save $296,000 annually in salaries.Though the commission came under fire earlier this year for agreeing to pay a Las Vegas law firm up to $250,000 to draft laws to expand gambling, it said Thursday that the layoffs are in no way connected to that expense.Employees throughout the commission were affected by the cutbac
Nov 19, 2004, 11:52 am - Lottery News

Texas Seniors Targeted by Lottery ScamNews Story
The so called foreign lottery scam is again targeting senior citizens in Texas, and former Governor Ann Richards and First Mother and former First Lady Barbara Bush have joined forces to produce radio and TV commercials urging Texans to 'just hang up.'The way the scam usually works is a senior will get an official sounding telephone call from somebody claiming that the senior has won a foreign lottery, usually the non existent 'Canadian Lottery.'Dalton Bessette, a senior who lost $240,000 to t
Oct 5, 2004, 11:52 am - Lottery News

Texas man claims Mega Millions jackpotNews Story
A Carrollton man picked up his cash value option prize of $62 million on Monday after winning Friday's Mega Millions jackpot.Ut Van Nguyen plans to use the money to help with the construction of a religious temple near Duncanville. He and his family will also return to Vietnam to help relatives, the Texas Lottery Commission said in a news release.Friday's jackpot was worth $101 million.Nguyen was the first Mega Millions winner in Texas. He drove to Austin to pick up his prize on Monday.Nguyen sp
Oct 5, 2004, 10:32 am - Lottery News

Texas store sells first winning Mega Millions ticketNews Story
Winning Mega Millions ticket sold at new self-service machineSomeone who purchased a Mega Millions lotto ticket at a North Texas store is $101 million richer as the state claimed its first jackpot winner in the multistate game.One ticket sold in Carrollton matched all the winning numbers from Friday night's drawing: 8, 10, 17, 24 and 39. The Mega Ball number was 52. We've been eagerly waiting for this day, said Reagan Greer, Texas Lottery Commission executive director. I hope the person or per
Oct 4, 2004, 3:44 pm - Lottery News

Texas Lottery reports $3.5 billion in salesNews Story
Popular scratch-off games and a record lottery jackpot propelled the Texas Lottery to its second-highest sales during fiscal year 2004.Unaudited sales figures of all products totaled nearly $3.5 billion in the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. Fiscal year 1997 was the largest-ever sales year, with more than $3.7 billion worth of tickets sold. For years I've heard that the lottery's in trouble, the lottery's not delivering, said Reagan Greer, executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission. Th
Sep 11, 2004, 8:46 am - Lottery News

El Paso man claims $145 million Texas Lotto prizeNews Story
A publicity-shy El Paso man today turned in the winning ticket for last month's $145 million Texas Lotto jackpot on behalf of a partnership.The Texas Lottery Commission said that Alfredo Ornelas Barragan accepted an after-tax cash payment of $61.9 million on behalf of VOM Enterprises Ltd. and IBO Management Co.Ornelas arrived with his attorney, Ernesto Pineda, around 10 a.m. and spent most of the day verifying the ticket. Neither man would speak with reporters. He's very quiet but eager to have
Jul 7, 2004, 5:53 pm - Lottery News

Texas lottery posts record June salesNews Story
The Texas lottery hit an all-time sales record in June.Figures released Thursday show sales for last month were nearly $392 million.That includes sales for scratch off games, Lotto Texas, Cash Five, Texas Two Step, Pick Three and Mega Millions.The previous monthly sales record in Texas was $344 million in November of 1996.June included the highest jackpot ever for Lotto Texas.One ticket -- sold in El Paso -- matched all six numbers in the June 19 drawing for a jackpot worth $145 million.
Jul 2, 2004, 8:15 am - Lottery News

Texas looking for its first Mega Million winnerNews Story
Sometimes, the big dog's got to eat last.Texas is the largest state in the 11-member Mega Millions multistate lottery game, and it's the only one that hasn't had a jackpot winner. State lottery officials hope that dubious distinction ends with Friday night's drawing. On Thursday, the jackpot was bumped up to a stratospheric $290 million. If other states can have jackpot winners, we can too, said lottery director Reagan Greer.To be fair, Texas has been part of Mega Millions for just six months.
Jul 2, 2004, 8:13 am - Lottery News