AUSTIN (Nexstar)– 5 hours right into a marathon Us senate Board on State Matters hearing, previous Lottery.com Principal Operating Police officer Greg Potts went down a bombshell concerning the April 2023 Lottery Texas illustration. For the $95 million prize, an entity called Rook TX discovered a means to invest concerning $25 million for almost all the feasible number mixes. Lottery.com has actually been charged helpful them obtain those tickets.
At Monday’s hearing, Potts charged previous Lotto Payment Exec Supervisor Gary Despair of providing Lottery.com the consent to perform a mass ticket acquisition for a European brokerage firm.
” When the task existed to the company, (previous Lottery.com chief executive officer) Mark (Gustavson) pertained to me, we reviewed it, and Mark would certainly stagnate ahead without complete contract with the Texas Lottery Game Payment,” Potts informed legislators. “We were stunned when we spoke to the … Texas Lottery Game Payment. We were really stunned that the response was indeed. We totally anticipated that they would certainly poke fun at us and claim, ‘Well, no, obviously, you can not do this,’ so we just did after we were informed that we had the ability to progress under the lotto game permit that we had.”
Senator Paul Bettencourt, R – Houston, pushed Potts on that precisely at the Lotto Payment authorized the procedure.
” I think the ask was made to the executive supervisor,” Potts stated.
” That was by name?” Bettencourt examined.
” Gary Despair,” Potts responded.
Instantly after the exchange, Sen. Bob Hall, R – Edgewood, stated “He simply verified what I have actually been claiming in the design. (Exists) any type of uncertainty [in] any person’s mind that this was crafted from the within? It was not smart individuals outside [who] determined just how to defeat the system that’s within our state federal government, this point was hatched out [and] carried out– a criminal conspiracy theory– inside our state federal government.”
On Tuesday early morning, Despair’s lawyer Sam Bassett highlighted his placement that the previous lotto game supervisor not did anything incorrect, and is intending to totally accept any type of official examination. Bassett stated Despair has actually not yet been come close to by the Texas Rangers, someday after Gov. Greg Abbott got them to explore the April 2023 $95 million Lottery Texas illustration and the Feb. 16, 2025, $83.5 million Lottery Texas illustration, won on the application ‘Jackpocket’.
Understanding extra concerning the ‘bulk acquisition’
Potts additionally verified various other vital information concerning just how the illustration decreased. He stated he really did not find out about Rook TX up until after the illustrations however did understand Lottery.com was collecting tickets for an international entity.
” We were come close to by a broker that stood for a business that advertises ticket organizations, that’s what they’re hired Europe, as a component of their service version,” Potts stated. “It was never ever provided they intended to acquire all (the feasible number mixes),” however Potts did discuss they desired a big quantity.
That’s when Potts states he and Gustavson asked the Lotto Payment if they can refine the order, supposedly obtaining the consent.
Potts verified the procedure happened in a center in Spicewood for the single objective of printing lotto game tickets, which coldly goes against the Lotto Payment’s guidelines specifying a certified merchant should not just remain in business of marketing lotto game tickets.
” The connection in between the business and the lotto game pre-dated me,” Potts stated. “The only response I have actually been informed … is that the Texas Lotto Payment was totally knowledgeable about the procedure, they had actually existed. They had actually seen the center several times throughout the years that it had actually existed.”
At the moment, Potts states, they weren’t also working as a messenger any longer as a result of examinations right into the business, also pointing out a previous exec being government billed with scams recently. Because of those concerns, Potts stated they had really little team at the time, needing the brokerage firm they dealt with to provide employees to satisfy the orders.
Finally, Potts stated he thought QR codes, which are just enabled to be checked at Lotto terminals if they’re produced by the Texas Lotto mobile application, were utilized to produce the mass tickets, although he can not claim for certian.
” I was not on-site in any way,” Potts stated. “I have actually been alerted that they utilized QR codes … My understanding is that those QR codes were not component of the Texas lotto game application. Yet I can not attest that due to the fact that I was not there.”
In feedback to Potts claiming “the dollar both began and quit with (Gustavson),” Gustavson responded, “I will certainly claim merely that Greg Potts dedicated perjury.”
Gustavson proceeded “My needs as chief executive officer of Lottery.com [were] nearly totally laser-focused on obtaining intricate monetary filings renewed with an appropriate audit procedure, something that was extremely important to the business’s [survival]. Mr. Potts delicately brought the Lottery Texas occasion to my interest simply days before it happening, and never ever when did he notify me that there were mosting likely to be several messengers entailed, that the strategy was to acquire all the lotto game tickets, that unlawful software application and equipment would certainly be utilized, which previous Lottery.com owners … would certainly be associated with the ticket printing plan.”
Gustavson remained to make a number of allegations of Potts’ function in the April 2023 illustration, claiming “Greg Potts was, in my point of view, the ring leader,” including “It is my hope that a complete and complete examination will certainly be performed that will certainly discover the entire reality, which Greg Potts will certainly be held liable for his purposefully incorrect declarations and assertions he made under vow before the Texas Us Senate on Feb. 24, 2025.”
Gustavson additionally stated he can not validate that Lottery.com or Potts connected to the Texas Lottery Game Payment prior to the mass acquisition occasion.
Potts decreased to react to Gustavson’s remarks. The Texas Lotto Payment decreased to comment, claiming they do not talk about open examinations.
