A reclusive international gambler known as “The Joker” has acknowledged helping finance a 2023 operation that bought nearly every possible combination in a Lotto Texas drawing, guaranteeing a win and raising questions about oversight in the state’s lottery system.
Zeljko Ranogajec, an Australian high-stakes bettor who wagers billions annually, confirmed his role in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald. The coordinated effort produced a $57.8 million jackpot payout, with organizers netting roughly $20 million in profit after costs.
“I was involved in the funding of the Texas lottery play,” Ranogajec said, the Herald reported.
He added that the scale would have been impossible “without full cooperation” from the Texas Lottery Commission.
The scheme centered on the April 22, 2023, drawing, when a group purchased virtually all 25.8 million number combinations through four licensed retailers in Round Rock, Spicewood, Waco, and Colleyville. Millions of tickets were printed over 72 hours using specialized equipment and extra terminals supplied by the state agency.
The Texas Lottery Commission has come under scrutiny for providing pallets of paper and additional machines to retailers that had sold few tickets in prior months, while overlooking apparent rule violations. Former executive director Gary Grief claimed he was unaware of the full scope, but that account has been challenged by participants who said they received prior approval.
The operation involved Bernard Marantelli, who handled logistics, along with David Walsh and others with histories of large-scale lottery plays. Earlier attempts in April 2023 resulted in losses but produced statistically unusual second-place wins.
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a Texas Rangers investigation in February 2025, stating that “Texans must be able to trust in our state’s lottery system.” Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a separate probe, expressing concern that “non-citizens” were attempting to “rig the system.” More than a year later, neither office has released findings.
Ranogajec and Marantelli told the Australian newspaper that investigators have not contacted them. The Texas Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Rangers, said the inquiry “remains an active and ongoing investigation, and no additional information is currently available.”
Lawmakers and regulators are now considering whether new safeguards are needed to prevent similar large-scale ticket-buying efforts that critics say undermine the lottery’s reliance on chance.