The Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill on Thursday to ban courier services from helping customers buy lottery tickets. The move follows a controversial $83 million jackpot award. State Sen. Bob Hall,

The investigation into two controversial lottery jackpots in Texas had drummed up questions about the role of online ticketing firms known as lottery couriers in the state – and nationwide.

The Texas Lottery Commission has banned lottery couriers, but Lotto.com and Jackpot.com are still taking orders in Texas.

But the present controversy over so-called lottery couriers appears to have struck a deeper chord because it raises questions over whether ordinary players have a fair shot at winning, and because the Legislature had largely been kept into the dark about the intricacies of courier companies' business practices.

On Thursday, the Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill to ban courier services from purchasing lottery tickets on behalf of customers. This legislation was prompted by a recent controversy surrounding an $83 million jackpot.

Unanimous passage in the Senate comes after top Texas officials say the third-party services undermine trust in the lottery.

An industry trade group said SB 28, which bans lottery courier companies, is an overreaction to comparatively rare practices within the industry.

A man from Malta. A London-based betting company. The Texas Rangers. Here’s everything to know about the controversy.

Four days after the Texas Lottery Commission changed its precedent by banning lottery couriers, the Texas Senate unanimously voted to make them illegal.

Hours later, the Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously advanced legislation that would take the ban one step further — making online lottery sales a criminal act. And in between those two actions,

On Thursday, the Texas Senate unanimously voted to ban lottery courier services, as allegations of money laundering and fraud prompted investigations from the Texas Rangers and the Attorney General's office.