Texas Gamblers Bought Lottery

In April 2023, a group of professional gamblers led by Bernard Marantelli and backed by financier Zeljko Ranogajec targeted a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot by trying to cover nearly every possible number combination in the game. Over the three days between drawings, the operation printed about 25.8 million tickets at four locations across Texas, enough to cover roughly 99 percent of the 26 million possible combinations. They won and took the $57.8 million cash option instead of the full jackpot, and they made a profit of $20 million after taxes and expenses. This massive logistical gamble triggered outrage, investigations, and a wider scandal over how the Texas lottery had allowed the scheme to work.

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