How a secretive gambler ‘The Joker’ rigged the Texas lottery and won $95 million jackpot

In an audacious scheme that has shaken the foundations of Texas’s beloved state lottery, a shadowy syndicate of professional gamblers from overseas pulled off what state leaders are calling one of the most controversial lottery wins in US history.

At the center of the storm is a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot drawn in April 2023.(Representational image)

At the center of the storm is a $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot drawn in April 2023, from which a secretive gambling syndicate- backed by a legendary Tasmanian high-stakes bettor and operated by a former London banker – walked away with $57.8 million in winnings. The plan: buy nearly every possible combination in the game. The cost: roughly $25.8 million. The profit? Potentially tens of millions.

The mastermind behind the operation, Bernard Marantelli, a former Deutsche Bank derivatives trader turned bookmaker, coordinated with Zeljko Ranogajec, a reclusive Tasmanian gambling savant known in betting circles as “the Joker.” Using sophisticated analytics and Wall Street-style tactics, the team executed an all-out ticket-buying assault rarely seen in American lotteries.

Over the course of just three days, the team—operating out of a former dentist’s office, a warehouse, and two other nondescript Texas locations—deployed dozens of official lottery ticket-printing terminals. Working around the clock, they printed hundreds of tickets per second, ultimately covering more than 99% of the possible 25.8 million combinations.

Backed by deep pockets and operational secrecy, the crew funneled funds through an Isle of Man account controlled by Ranogajec under his alias, John Wilson. The cash moved through a Detroit law firm escrow account before reaching their ticket-printing partner: struggling Austin-based startup Lottery.com, which earned a commission on the sales.

When one of their millions of tickets hit the winning numbers – 3, 5, 18, 29, 30, and 52 – on April 22, they had effectively cracked the code. A limited partnership called Rook TX quietly claimed the prize, remaining anonymous under state law. But the covert operation didn’t stay secret for long.

By June, media reports and watchdog concerns had blown the lid off the caper. Texas politicians erupted. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick declared it “the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas.” Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Rangers to investigate. And the state’s lottery commission admitted that a junior staffer had approved the terminal access, unknowingly enabling a global gambling outfit to game the system.

“Considered cheating”

While Lottery.com executives privately celebrated their windfall – earning nearly $264,000 in commissions- they also recognized the optics. “It is considered cheating by lottery players,” one executive wrote in an internal email. “We do not want to raise attention to it.”

Watchdog and longtime Texas Lotto Report publisher Dawn Nettles, suspecting foul play during the week of the drawing, bought tickets herself in a bid to spoil what she feared was a professional sweep. When her fears were confirmed, she sued Lottery.com and the winners, alleging the operation defrauded everyday Texans. The defendants have yet to respond in court.

The public fallout has been swift. Hearings in the Texas Senate have probed the integrity of the lottery system. Some lawmakers likened the event to an “organized crime ring.” The Lottery Commission has since introduced software restrictions to cap daily ticket sales per terminal, aiming to prevent future bulk-buying plays.

Who is the Joker?

The enigmatic Ranogajec, the man behind the money, has long been a ghost in global gambling. Nicknamed the “Loch Ness Monster” due to the scarcity of photos of him, he built a fortune by applying algorithmic strategies to betting markets worldwide. At one point, his syndicate, the “Punters Club,” was estimated to be betting $10 billion annually.

His former partner, Australian mathematician David Walsh—now best known as the founder of the provocative Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania—once recalled how they turned blackjack, lotteries, and horse racing into profit machines. Together, they executed similar lottery schemes in Australia decades ago, and once took home $63 million from a single Tokyo horse race.

Marantelli, meanwhile, cut his teeth in Melbourne’s bookmaking scene before launching ColossusBets in the U.K., a betting platform that caught Ranogajec’s attention. Their latest venture, White Swan Data, quietly mines betting opportunities using advanced data analysis, while operating largely in the shadows.

New age of lottery warfare

While the legality of the Texas maneuver remains intact—the operation complied with existing rules—many officials and players say it undermines public trust. “It may be legal, but it’s not right,” said State Sen. Bob Hall told the Wall Street Journal. Others argue it’s no different than hedge funds leveraging market inefficiencies.

Indeed, Texas isn’t the only state facing pressure from professional gamblers. Another group, Black Swan Capital—comprised of Princeton grads—has scored multimillion-dollar wins using similar mathematical strategies in Missouri, North Carolina, Maryland, and beyond. Some states have responded by tightening restrictions on bulk purchases and scratch-off access.

But professional players aren’t slowing down. In December 2023, as the Texas jackpot crept back toward $60 million, new letters began arriving at stores statewide from someone calling himself “Adrian,” proposing another mass-buying spree. Before it could get off the ground, the Lottery Commission blocked the plan with a software patch.