Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s Opportunity to End Texas' Gambling Trap

The Texas Lottery is at a crossroads. The resignation of Commissioner Clark Smith, amidst mounting allegations of corruption and manipulation within the state’s lottery system, marks a defining moment in the future of public gambling in Texas. The controversy surrounding ticket resellers, third-party courier services, and the exploitation of legal loopholes has exposed what many conservatives have long warned about: the government’s reliance on gambling revenues is a tax on the desperate, disproportionately harming low-income citizens while creating a regulatory nightmare.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a leader who has never shied away from taking bold action, now faces a critical choice. He can simply shut down the most egregious abuses—banning online lottery couriers and tightening oversight—or he can take a truly transformative step by replacing the current, exploitative system with a model that actually helps the very people who play the lottery. The answer lies in Prize-Linked Savings Accounts (PLSAs), a proven alternative that merges the thrill of winning with financial security.

Lotteries, as they exist today, prey on those least able to afford them. The data is clear: the poorest Americans spend disproportionately on lottery tickets, lured by the promise of wealth but left with empty wallets. For many, the lottery functions as a desperate financial plan rather than entertainment. The Texas Lottery, despite claims that proceeds go to education and public services, ultimately operates as a regressive tax. The recent courier scandal underscores the inevitable consequence of a system designed around gambling: manipulation, insider deals, and an erosion of public trust.

Prize-linked savings accounts, however, offer a compelling alternative. These accounts function similarly to a lottery, but with one crucial difference—every participant retains their principal while having the chance to win cash prizes. Instead of spending $20 a week on scratch-offs with a near-zero chance of profit, Texans could put that same money into a savings account that enters them into a raffle. The excitement of potential winnings remains, but now every dollar saved contributes to financial security, rather than vanishing into state coffers or the hands of politically connected insiders.

International and domestic examples prove the model works. The United Kingdom’s Premium Bonds program has flourished for decades, offering citizens the chance to win money while growing their savings. U.S. pilot programs, such as Michigan’s Save to Win initiative, have demonstrated that PLSAs attract first-time savers, particularly from low-income backgrounds. These programs have successfully shifted gambling habits into wealth-building behaviors, something state lotteries have utterly failed to accomplish.

Lt. Gov. Patrick should not waste this moment merely cracking down on fraud while allowing the underlying problem to persist. Banning lottery couriers is a necessary step, but it does not address the deeper issue: the Texas Lottery itself is a bad deal for Texans. By championing PLSAs as an alternative, Patrick could reshape the financial future of millions. Instead of state-sponsored gambling preying on the most vulnerable, Texas could lead the nation in a financial revolution—one that channels the excitement of winning into real economic mobility.

The recent scandals confirm that reform is inevitable. The question is whether Texas will settle for superficial fixes or seize this chance to implement a truly conservative, pro-growth policy solution. Patrick has the opportunity to act decisively, demonstrating that Texas Republicans are not merely defenders of the status quo but pioneers of policies that uplift rather than exploit. The groundwork has already been laid: federal law now permits prize-linked savings programs, and other states have successfully launched them. Texas can and should follow suit.

The moment demands leadership. If Lt. Gov. Patrick wants to end the predatory cycle of government-run gambling, he must do more than regulate the existing system—he must replace it with something better. Texans don’t need more scratch-offs; they need a pathway to financial stability. A prize-linked savings system is the answer. Now is the time to make it happen.

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