Kristen Moriarty, the Houston-area mother who spent months battling for her $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot, will finally receive her winnings following a settlement with the Texas Lottery Commission. The agreement, filed last Thursday, resolves a high-profile dispute involving courier services, state investigations, and legislative action that nearly derailed Moriarty’s life-changing prize.

As confirmed by court documents and a statement from the Texas Lottery Commission, Moriarty will receive a lump sum of $45.8 million before taxes. The deal was reached under the direction of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office and is currently being processed.

Moriarty purchased the winning ticket on February 17 through Jackpocket, a lottery courier app that buys physical tickets on behalf of users. Her ticket was processed at Winners Corner, an Austin retail outlet affiliated with the app—one of the most prolific ticket sellers in the state.

Courier Controversy Fuels Delayed Payout

Despite correctly selecting the six numbers drawn, Moriarty’s victory was swiftly caught in the storm of a broader political and legal battle over courier services. Just one day after the draw, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made an unannounced visit to the ticket-issuing store and publicly questioned its legitimacy. “This is not the way the lottery was designed to operate,” he remarked. His statement marked the start of official investigations led by his office, the governor, and Attorney General Paxton.

The backlash against courier services stemmed from a previous incident in 2023, when an entity named Rook TX, using a similar service, spent $25 million to purchase nearly every possible number combination in a drawing and walked away with a $58 million prize. That event drew widespread scrutiny from lawmakers, who were already skeptical about the legal standing of courier companies.

While couriers had operated in Texas for years, their growth and lack of regulation fueled concern. Legislators were especially alarmed by courier-owned retail stores handling every part of the ticketing process. During tense hearings in February, state officials faced pointed questions about their oversight—or lack thereof—of these companies.

Winner Speaks Out Amid Political Turmoil

For Moriarty, the situation spiraled quickly. When she attempted to claim her prize a month after the draw, the commission declined to validate her win, citing pending investigations. In May, she filed a lawsuit against the commission’s director, asserting her right to the prize as the legitimate winner of a legal game.

In a June interview with The Texas Tribune, Moriarty expressed her frustration: “I’m sad, stressed, angry that this has become a political thing. 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.”

While the attorney general’s office did not comment on the resolution, the Texas Lottery confirmed the case had been settled. “With guidance from the Office of the Texas Attorney General, the Texas Lottery Commission has reached a settlement of the litigation over the prize payment with the Feb. 17, 2025, Lotto Texas jackpot claimant. The prize claim for the estimated annuitized $83.5 million jackpot prize has now been processed by the Texas Lottery,” the statement read.

This payout may be one of the last overseen by the Texas Lottery Commission, which is set to dissolve on September 1. Oversight of the lottery and charitable bingo will shift to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, though the specifics of that transition remain uncertain.