On April 22, 2023, a single lottery player bought virtually every possible number combination to win a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot . In recent months, the Chronicle has reported on how the operation was carried out, the lengths state regulators went to help, and — now — who organized it.

25.8 million ways to win: In Lotto Texas, six numbers are chosen out of 54, meaning there are 25.8 million possible combinations. Tickets cost $1 each, so it would cost more than $25 million to buy a jackpot. While most games sell about 1-2 million tickets, the April 22 draw sold more than 28 million.

Two winners foils the plan: While buying all the possible combinations guarantees a jackpot win, there is a risk another player could get lucky and guess the correct six numbers. Two winners would mean splitting the prize. Yet mathematicians calculated the odds of a second player winning the April Lotto game were only about 8% – making it a very safe bet for the big buyer.

No rules or laws broken: The Texas Lottery Commission said the operation didn’t break any laws. Behind the scenes, the agency even assisted the organizers, providing dozens of extra terminals and paper at the last minute so they could process the tens of millions of tickets. In some cases, staff appeared to ignore rules that might have prevented the project.

Lump sum payout is less: Although the advertised jackpot was $95 million, the one-time payment option selected by the winner was worth $57.8 million – a $20 million net profit after taxes and ticket costs, experts consulted by the Chronicle estimated.

Investigation prompts rules change: The Chronicle’s revelations that the lottery agency assisted the big buyer have angered state lawmakers, who said allowing a single player to effectively buy a lottery draw is unfair to regular players. The agency said it has changed its rules to inhibit future attempts by big players to corner a jackpot.

Winner chose anonymity: State law permits winners of big lottery paydays to stay personally anonymous. The April 22, 2023, prize was claimed by a faceless Delaware company called Rook TX .

The Malta connection: But sources have told the newspaper that the operation was organized by a businessman based on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta.

Possible British funding: There is also evidence that the big buy was funded by a legal London wagering company called Colossus Bets, which organizes betting syndicates.

Part of a pattern? That doesn’t mean the company itself put up the money. But executives associated with Colossus also have a history of buying up lotteries when the numbers become attractive.

Three-day sprint: New revelations about the way the millions of tickets were processed in the three-day window for Lotto Texas sales , meanwhile, raise more questions about how much the Texas Lottery Commission bent its own rules to help the operation.

Eric covers a wide variety of beats, from criminal justice to education to politics. He has also written about surveying history and recreational explosives.

Prior to working at the Chronicle, he worked for the Austin American-Statesman, alt-weeklies in Denver and Portland and daily and weekly newspapers in New York. He is originally from Batavia (Exit 48, NYS Thruway).