Florida Lottery Takes Action to Shut Down Unauthorized Online Lottery Courier Service

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (December 20, 2024) – The Florida Lottery (Lottery) announced today that it has successfully shut down an unauthorized online courier service, The Lotter, which was unlawfully selling Florida Lottery tickets to consumers. This decisive action reinforces the Lottery’s commitment to safeguarding its players, ensuring the integrity of its games, and upholding Florida law.

“The Florida Lottery shuts down rouge operators who could potentially scam people in Florida,” said Secretary for the Florida Lottery, John F. Davis. “We are fully committed to supporting the integrity of the Florida Lottery, which benefits education in our state while ensuring that every player has the opportunity to participate in a fair game. Bad actors, beware.”

The Lotter, which operated in conjunction with lottery retailer ZaZa Accessories and illegally acted as an intermediary for purchasing lottery tickets, was discovered through routine monitoring and enforcement efforts.

“We take any attempt to undermine the fairness and trust of the Florida Lottery very seriously,” added Steven Harriett, Director of Security for the Florida Lottery. “The actions of this online courier service and lottery retailer not only violate state law but also compromise the experience of our loyal players and retailers who operate with integrity. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to root out illegal activities and maintain the public’s confidence in the Florida Lottery.”

The Florida Lottery encourages players to purchase tickets only through authorized retailers. Using unauthorized third-party services to buy lottery tickets is illegal and poses significant risks, including fraud, misrepresentation, and the potential loss of winnings.

The Florida Lottery remains committed to generating revenue for education while protecting the interests of players and the public. For more information, please contact the Florida Lottery’s Office of Communications at communications@flalottery.com.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $47 billion to enhance education and sending more than 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,600 Lottery retailers, and transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid over $97.1 billion in prizes and created more than 4,100 millionaires. For more information, please visit www.floridalottery.com.

SOURCE: Florida Lottery.