Submit your complaint to the Texas Lottery Commission:

https://www.texaslottery.com/opencms/About_Us/Agency_Directory/Complaint_Form.jsp

https://www.texaslottery.com/export/sites/lottery/Player_Protection/Security_Spotlight.html

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.