The Arizona Lottery has limited how many Fast Play tickets an individual or group can buy, a move it says is designed to “preserve fairness and protect the integrity” of the instant games by prohibiting bulk ticket purchases.
Effective immediately, a new “Prohibition of Bulk Ticket Purchases” rule allows the lottery to deny associated prizes to any individual or group that buys Fast Play tickets exceeding an aggregate total of $50,000 within a 24-hour period.
The rule applies to the total value of tickets, which the lottery defines as a “bulk ticket transaction” tickets, whether they are bought individually or in coordination with others, regardless of the number of transactions or retail locations used to buy the tickets.
Fast Play games are similar to instant tickets but are printed on demand and instantly reveal results.
Designed to curb suspicious behavior
The lottery cited an ongoing commitment to uphold public trust and ensure all players have equitable access to the games, and also noted that the “safeguards” are designed to address suspicious buying behavior that could undermine the Fast Play product.
“Pursuant to A.R.S. § 5-554(B)(3), the Lottery holds sole and absolute authority to deny the award of any prize for violations of applicable laws, regulations, or game rules, including, but not limited to, restrictions pertaining to bulk ticket purchases,” reads a page on the lottery’s website.
The lottery also stated that it reserves the right to investigate any purchase patterns it deems suspicious or indicative of bulk ticket purchases, and its determination as to whether a violation of the new rule has occurred shall be final and binding.
“Our goal is to ensure that every player has a fair chance at winning and that the integrity of our games remains strong,” said Arizona Lottery Executive Director Alec Thomson. “This update protects our players and supports the Lottery’s mission of maximizing net revenue in a responsible way.”
Everything’s bigger in Texas
The Arizona Lottery’s move comes after a very high-profile situation in Texas turned into notable legislation this spring.
Lone Star State Gov. Greg Abbott last week signed into law a bill that dissolved the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) and transferred lottery gaming oversight authority to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Sen. Bob Hall’s bill prohibited and criminalized playing lottery games by telephone or online. More relevant to the Arizona Lottery’s new action, it also banned anyone from purchasing more than 100 lottery tickets in a single transaction.
In his testimony, Hall referred to a notorious incident in 2023 in which a group of individuals allegedly colluded to spend $25 million to purchase 99% of winning lottery ticket combinations and netted a combined $95 million jackpot. Hall alleged complicity and corruption from the TLC, accusing it of turning a blind eye to nefarious purchasing. The scandal led to a class-action lawsuit and successive executive directors of the TLC leaving the role one after the other.
“While we’re aware of the ongoing situation in Texas, the Arizona Lottery’s decision to prohibit bulk purchases of Fast Play tickets was based on a broader review of the current gaming landscape and what we believe is in the best interest of our players and the integrity of our games,” an Arizona Lottery spokesperson told SBC Americas.
Lottery couriers were at the heart of the discussion in Texas. Courier services such as Jackpot.com and DraftKings-owned Jackpocket operate in Arizona, and that state’s lottery passed a motion in April to become one of just a few states to bring couriers under regulatory oversight.
