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,

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.

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.