The Texas Lottery has agreed to pay a huge jackpot to a woman who waited months for her winnings. The prize is from a $83.5 million Lotto Texas draw.
The winner is Kristen Moriarty. She lives in Montgomery County, near Houston.
Moriarty bought her ticket through a courier app. This app lets people order lottery tickets online.
She matched all the numbers on February 17, 2025. But the lottery held back the money. They were checking the courier service for problems.
“I’m sad, stressed, angry that this has become a political thing,” Moriarty said in a June interview. “I’ve lost faith in our elected officials. And yeah, I really don’t know what else to say that I can say out loud.”
Texas now bans these kinds of services because of the issues.
Moriarty got tired of waiting. She sued the Texas Lottery Commission in May 2025.
𝐈𝐂𝐘𝐌𝐈: Recently, there have been many questions raised about the integrity of the Texas Lottery. On Monday night, an $83 million winning ticket was sold in Austin. Turns out, the retail establishment that sold the winning ticket in the front of the store was owned by the… pic.twitter.com/D62kVnZMw4
— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) February 19, 2025
She asked for her prize money right away. The case went on for a while. Now, the two sides have settled. The lottery will pay Moriarty nearly $46 million, reports The Texas Tribune.
This is the cash option for the jackpot. The full $83.5 million was the amount if paid over many years.
Moriarty is happy the wait is over. She wants to use the money to remember her late husband.
She plans to help her family and give back to her community. The Texas Lottery said the prize claim is now done. They processed it after the settlement.
This ends a tough time for the winner and the lottery group. Lottery wins like this are rare. But stories about delays show how rules can slow things down. Moriarty’s case might help change how prizes are handled in the future.
