RYAN MINDELL RESIGNS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS LOTTERY COMMISSION AMID PROBES

The Texas Lottery Commission announced Monday that its Executive Director, RYAN MINDELL, has resigned effective immediately. The announcement comes as the agency faces scrutiny from at least two investigations ordered by Governor GREG ABBOTT and State Attorney General KEN PAXTON, focusing on the integrity of lottery prizes and the handling of courier companies that facilitate online ticket purchases.

Lottery couriers, which are currently unregulated, operate by taking orders from customers online, purchasing tickets on their behalf from licensed retailers, and managing the tickets until their status as winners or non-winners is determined. The Texas Lottery Commission confirmed to Fox News Digital that these couriers charge a fee for their services.

The investigations were spurred by concerns over two high-value lottery tickets: an $83 million winning ticket sold in Austin in February and a $95 million winning ticket sold in Colleyville in April 2023. GOV. ABBOTT has directed the Texas Rangers to probe these transactions, Fox 7 Austin reported.

ANDREW MAHALERIS, a spokesman for Governor Abbott, emphasized that the state expects the Texas Lottery Commission to uphold the law and maintain public trust, regardless of leadership changes. “The governor expects the Texas Lottery Commission to operate within the bounds of the law and ensure the integrity of the lottery,” Mahaleris told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The Coalition of Texas Lottery Couriers has criticized MINELL, accusing him of unfairly targeting courier companies to deflect from the agency’s own issues. In a statement to the AP, the coalition expressed hope that his departure would open the door to reconsidering politically motivated decisions and rebuilding collaboration between the couriers and the Commission.

In the interim, SERGIO REY, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Texas Lottery Commission, has been appointed as Acting Deputy Executive Director. The Commission’s board will discuss the process for selecting a new Executive Director at its next open meeting on April 29.

For more details, visit [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com) and [The Associated Press](https://www.apnews.com).