Texas Lottery review (2026): TDLR oversight, no online sales, claims and odds

Who it’s for

The Texas Lottery suits players who are happy to buy in person at a retailer and who accept that the lottery’s governance is in flux. The minimum age is 18. It is a poor fit for anyone who wants to buy tickets on a phone, because online, app and courier sales are all banned.

How it works

The Texas Lottery Commission was abolished by SB 3070, signed in June 2025. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has run the lottery since 1 September 2025. The Texas Tribune reported on 25 June 2025 that the bill also made online and app sales a class A misdemeanour. The lottery is authorised to 2029, pending Sunset review.

Tickets are sold in person, with a 100-ticket limit. The lineup includes Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto Texas, which costs $1 (with an optional $1 Extra!) and draws on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:12 pm Central. Powerball costs $2, with Power Play at $1 more, and Mega Millions costs $5.

Odds and value

Texas adds little to the national games on odds. Powerball’s jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338, with a 1 in 24.87 chance of any prize. Mega Millions’ are 1 in 290,472,336 and 1 in 23. Those figures are identical in every state.

One practical point on price: Lotto Texas costs $1 and Powerball costs $2, so a player who buys both on a draw night spends $3 before any add-ons. The in-person limit is 100 tickets, and with online and app sales banned, the retail counter is the only route.

For Lotto Texas, our fact sheet has no published jackpot or any-prize odds, so we cannot compare it with other states’ draw games. The lottery has not given us a figure on the pages we checked, and we prefer to say that than to estimate. How we weigh odds is explained in our methodology.

Trust and regulation

This is the weakest area for Texas, and we state the items as sources reported them. The concern in these items is oversight and how large jackpots were bought, not the national games themselves.

According to the governor’s office on 24 February 2025, Governor Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate an April 2023 bulk ticket purchase that won a $95 million jackpot, and a February 2025 courier-bought ticket worth $83.5 million. NBC News reported that the Commission banned couriers on 24 February 2025. The Texas Tribune reported on 25 June 2025 that SB 3070 abolished the Commission and moved the lottery to TDLR.

We have not seen a published outcome of the Rangers investigations on the pages we checked, and we do not draw a conclusion from them. What the record shows is a change of regulator and a reduced role for online sellers. TDLR’s own regulatory approach is still new.

Claiming prizes and taxes

Draw prizes must be claimed within 180 days. Scratch-offs must be claimed within 180 days of game close. That is half of the one-year window offered in Pennsylvania or New York, so check your tickets promptly.

Federal tax of 24% is withheld on prizes over $5,000. We have not found a published Texas state income-tax rate or a stated anonymity rule on the pages we checked, so both are not published here. Our Texas state page tracks what we can verify.

Playing online

You cannot buy online. Online, app and courier sales are prohibited under SB 3070, and the offence is a class A misdemeanour. Courier apps such as Jackpocket were the target of the ban, which the Commission first announced on 24 February 2025.

Be careful with any site that offers to buy a ticket for you from outside the state. Powerball’s own FAQ warns that lotteries may refuse to pay on tickets bought from any site other than their own, and in Texas the state has also made such sales an offence. If a site offers Texas tickets, we would walk away.

Our take

Compared with states such as Michigan, which scores well on player tools, Texas gives players little beyond a retail counter and a helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. That keeps risk low in one sense, because there is no app to overspend on, but it also means no built-in limits.

Texas is a large lottery that puts about $2 billion a year into public education, according to the Texas Tribune. That is a real public benefit. But the abolition of the Commission, the Rangers investigations and a short claim window weigh on our scores. Buy in person, sign your ticket, and treat the lottery as entertainment. Our guides cover how to check a ticket.

Frequently asked questions

Who runs the Texas Lottery now?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has run it since 1 September 2025, after SB 3070 abolished the Texas Lottery Commission.

Can I buy Texas lottery tickets online?

No. Online, app and courier sales are prohibited and are a class A misdemeanour.

How long do I have to claim?

180 days for draw games. Scratch-offs must be claimed within 180 days of game close.

Is there a state income tax on Texas lottery wins?

We did not find a stated rate on the pages we checked. Federal tax of 24% is withheld on prizes over $5,000.

Where does the money go?

About $2 billion a year goes to public education, according to the Texas Tribune.