Texas Lottery

Player Area

Check Your Numbers
Receipt Ticket
Download the App
Claim Your Prize

Security Spotlight

WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE AS A TEXAS LOTTERY® PLAYER TO SAFEGUARD MY TICKETS AND HAVE THE BEST PLAYING EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE?

  • Purchase tickets only from a licensed Texas Lottery retailer.
  • Always check your tickets at the time of purchase to ensure that you received the correct lottery game, numbers and drawing date.
  • Sign your tickets upon receipt. If you lose a signed ticket, and it is submitted to the Texas Lottery, your signature may prevent someone else from claiming the lottery prize.
  • Do not write on or mark the lottery ticket other than entering the required information in the claimant section. Writing on or marking other areas of the ticket may result in the ticket being submitted for investigation and delaying your prize payment.
  • If you lose a lottery ticket or it is stolen, you can report the loss to the Texas Lottery Commission, either to the Texas Lottery Retailer Services Hotline (800-375-6886) or to any Lottery Claim Center. If your ticket was stolen, you must report the theft to the local law enforcement agency, obtain a case number, and provide the case number to the Texas Lottery Commission.
  • Check your own tickets and determine your prizes before presenting them to the retailer for validation by using a self-service Check-a-Ticket machine or a Gemini™ vending machine provided at one of the Texas Lottery's 20,000+ retail locations. You can also download the Texas Lottery app to a smartphone to check your lottery tickets.
  • Winning results for draw games can be printed by any licensed Texas Lottery retailer and are also available on the Texas Lottery website texaslottery.com.
  • Verify the validation amount for your winning tickets by watching the validation display section of the customer-facing lottery sales monitor.
  • Ask the retailer for the PLAYER COPY of the validation receipt when you validate your tickets to ensure the accuracy of the transaction with the retailer.
  • One of five distinct tones will play every time a ticket is scanned to let players know the status of their winning and non-winning tickets. Descriptions of the five distinct tones are available at texaslottery.com/Player Protection.
  • Report any suspicious activity or concerns that you have regarding a lottery ticket purchase to the Texas Lottery immediately. The Texas Lottery has a formal complaint process to address complaints from players and retailers. Phone complaints can be made to the Compliance Hotline at 512-344-5300 or 800-375-6886 x5300. Written complaints can be made online or via the mail or faxed to (512)344-5334.

AS A TEXAS LOTTERY® PLAYER, WHAT CAN I EXPECT WHEN PURCHASING OR REDEEMING LOTTERY TICKETS?

The Texas Lottery Commission exercises strict control and supervision over its games to promote and ensure integrity, security, honesty and fairness in the operation and administration of the lottery. We know the majority of our licensed retailers conduct their business with integrity and fairness. If you experience any of the violations detailed below, please call the Texas Lottery at 800-375-6886 to report the incident.

The Texas Lottery is very serious about violations of lottery laws and rules and it reviews every complaint. When complaints are found to be violations of lottery laws and rules, disciplinary action is taken against the retailer. Administrative penalties range from Warning Letters to License Suspension or Revocation. Additional penalties may include restitution. In some cases, criminal prosecution is pursued for individuals for violations of law.

Texas Lottery retailers go through a comprehensive training process to be licensed to sell lottery tickets. Over 1 billion lottery sales and validation transactions occur each year at lottery retail locations and the great majority of our 20,000+ sales agents take care to ensure honesty and fairness in their dealings with Texas Lottery customers. However, some retail locations may not always follow the laws and rules designed to protect the security and integrity of the lottery and its customers.

The following are lottery retailer violations that can occur:

  • Licensee fails to pay a valid prize the licensee is required to pay. When retailers and their employees validate a prizewinning ticket, they are required to pay the player the amount displayed on the terminal screen and on the two validation receipts (player and retailer copy) generated by the sales terminal. Players should receive the PLAYER COPY of the validation receipt along with their winnings to confirm the amount is correct.
  • Licensee refuses or fails to sell lottery tickets during all normal business hours of the lottery retailer. If a lottery location is open for business, you can expect to be able to purchase lottery tickets. Draw games may not be available during draw breaks when the sale of specific draw games is suspended and additional times when technical issues or software downloads may prevent a retailer from selling draw games.
  • Licensee conditions redemption of a lottery prize upon the purchase of any other item or service. While retailers are not required to validate and pay lottery prizes, they are encouraged to do so and are authorized to pay prizes under $600. For retailers that choose to pay lottery prizes, the retailer is prohibited from requiring you to buy anything else, including another lottery ticket, before paying a valid prize.
  • Licensee sells a scratch ticket from a game that has closed after the date designated for the end of the game. A list of closed scratch ticket games and the dates they closed is available on the Texas Lottery’s website at texaslottery.com.
  • Licensee intentionally or knowingly sells a ticket at a price the licensee knows is greater than the price fixed by the executive director [of the Texas Lottery]. You cannot be charged more than the face value price printed on the ticket. This rule includes transactions involving debit cards. Retailers may choose whether or not to accept debit cards for lottery transactions, but they cannot charge an additional fee for doing so.
  • Licensee refuses to and/or fails to properly cancel a Pick 3™ or Daily 4™ ticket. Retailers are authorized to cancel a Pick 3 or Daily 4 ticket provided that all the following conditions are met: 1) the retailer canceling the ticket is the retailer that sold the ticket; 2) cancellation must occur no later than 60 minutes after sale of the ticket; 3) ticket must be canceled before the beginning of the next draw break after the sale, and 4) cancellation must occur before midnight on the day the ticket was printed.
  • Licensee offers to purchase a winning lottery ticket.

It is a criminal offense to induce another person to assign or transfer the right to claim a
prize, or to offer for sale the right to claim a prize. One of the most common violations is
a retailer or retailer employee offering to buy a player’s winning lottery ticket for less
than the winning prize amount.

A complete list of lottery violations is available at http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/fids/201501978-1.html .

WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE AS A TEXAS LOTTERY RETAILER TO SAFEGUARD MY TICKETS AND HAVE THE BEST-SELLING EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE?

  • Maintain accurate inventory records including the Game #, Pack # and Ticket #.
  • Do not pay prizes on tickets that have not been validated properly through the terminal.
  • Do not pay a prize amount that is less than the prize amount indicated on the terminal and the validation receipt.
  • Provide all customers with their validation receipt (PLAYER COPY) for ticket validations that you perform.
  • Properly deface tickets for which a prize has been paid. Do not return tickets to players after you have paid a prize.
  • If you validate a ticket and are unable to pay the prize indicated, you must return the ticket to the player.
  • Report stolen tickets immediately to local law enforcement authorities and the IGT hotline at 800-458-0884. IGT hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.