Ban on lottery ticket bulk purchases now in effect in Maine
Maine has become the latest state to ban bulk purchases of lottery tickets, following a series of controversies around the practice in other states last year.
The biggest controversy came from Texas, where a wave of scrutiny of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) led to the body being replaced as regulator of the Texas Lottery.
Concerns around bulk purchases largely relate to integrity and fairness issues. The Texas saga started after a 2023 incident in which a group of investors spent $25m to buy around 99% of possible winning number combinations, winning a $95m jackpot.
Maine does not want similar incidents to occur in its own backyard, following similar moves by the likes of the Arizona Lottery. The bill, LD 2095, was first proposed to the state congress by the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO)
It has now been cleared by both the Maine House of Representatives and Senate, was signed off by Governor Janet Mills in April, and is now fully in effect.
The legislation defines bulk purchases as any purchase of more than $25,000 worth of tickets in a single lottery game, whether at one retailer or at several retailers and whether carried out by one individual or a group.
“This new law reinforces our commitment to fairness and integrity in lottery play,” said Louis Luchini, Director of BABLO.
“This action helps ensure that no individual or group can gain an unfair advantage through large-scale purchasing strategies.”
Remember Texas?
Maine’s ban will remind many observers of the aforementioned debacle that played in Texas between 2023-2025.
The 2023 buyout was the first incident, and the one which drew the public’s and legislators’ attention to the integrity of the Texas lottery ecosystem.
In early 2025, another incident occurred, in which a woman purchased a $83.5m winning lottery ticket from a retailer owned by DraftKings – the same company which owns Jackpocket, the lottery courier app she used to purchase the ticket.
This led to public scrutiny of lottery couriers and their role within the lottery system. The TLC then opted to ban lottery couriers in March 2025, prompting a backlash from the sector and organised lobbying against it.
One legislator, Bob Hall, proposed abolishing the Texas Lottery outright and starting again from scratch. This was ultimately not pursued and the Lottery itself was spared the axe – but not the TLC, which saw its duties transferred by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
The woman who purchased the $83.5m ticket, which was withheld by the TLC while integrity investigations continued, was ultimately paid out $46m after a court battle.
- https://lotterydaily.com/2026/05/18/regulation/maine-bulk-buying-lottery-tickets-ban/