Gary Grief, the former executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission, found himself at the center of a legal controversy after being indicted by a Travis County grand jury last month. This indictment, which charged him with felony abuse of office, was unexpectedly dismissed just three days later at the request of an assistant district attorney, as per court records.
The indictment, filed on April 14, alleged that Grief had misused his authority as executive director to defraud the state during a highly publicized Lotto Texas drawing scheduled for April 22, 2023. This particular drawing had drawn significant attention due to a Houston Chronicle investigation. The report revealed that a group, reportedly led by an overseas gambler, had utilized a staggering number of lottery ticket printers across four locations to purchase nearly all 26 million possible number combinations for the drawing, raising serious questions about the integrity of the lottery process.
The one-page indictment was notably sparse on specifics, merely accusing Grief of misusing “government property, services, personnel, or a thing of value belonging to the government.” However, the following dismissal of the case by Assistant District Attorney Rob Drummond left many unanswered questions. Efforts to reach both Grief and his former attorney, Sam Bassett, for comments on the situation have so far been unsuccessful.
Grief’s resignation from the Texas Lottery Commission occurred in February 2024, prior to the public revelation of the circumstances surrounding the Lotto Texas jackpot. Subsequently, the Texas Legislature officially dissolved the lottery commission in May 2025, amid rising concerns regarding the ticket-buying scheme and the increasing prevalence of “lottery courier” companies that played a role in facilitating the mass printing of tickets in 2023. The management of the state’s lottery was then transferred to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which retained much of the original staff from the commission.
Following these events, the Department of Public Safety and the Texas attorney general’s office initiated an investigation into the Texas Lottery in March 2025. However, since the announcement of their investigation, no further information has been disclosed. When questioned about whether Grief’s indictment was connected to this ongoing investigation, the DPS did not provide immediate commentary.
In a related development, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has been vocally critical of the lottery system during recent legislative sessions, has tasked state senators with the responsibility of examining how the TDLR is managing the Texas lottery. This development suggests that scrutiny over the lottery’s operations is far from over, as state officials seek to restore public confidence in the integrity of the gaming system.
