Dawn
Nettles is a woman with a mission. The 63-year-old from Garland, Texas, has
spent the last 20 years of her life keeping tabs on the Texas Lottery. Nettles devotes
14 to 16 hours a day to her chosen role of lottery watchdog, but spying on the
State Lottery Commission was not her original intention when she began
producing The Lotto Report in 1993.
"I'm
in this position purely by accident," Nettles said. "One thing led to
another and another, and now I’m here."
The Lotto
Report started off as biweekly publication that published the results of Texas
Lottery draws. Then in 1999 Nettles created a website and began posting the
results online, along with lottery-related news and articles. Much of her
information came straight from the Texas Lottery Commission, who kept her
regularly updated.
Nettles
changed her focus in 2000 when the Lottery Commission altered the matrix of
many of the Texas Lottery games and created larger jackpots. Nettles opposed
the changes and said she believed that, between 1997 and 2000, the lottery had
underpaid 13 winners by a total of $3 million. The commission investigated her
claims and concluded it had followed the correct policy.
"After
that, I began reporting every move they made and continue to this day,"
Nettles said.
Nettles now
keeps a close eye on lottery legislation, sales, and payouts. In 2005 the
commission's executive director resigned after an investigation initiated by
Nettles showed the lottery was advertising jackpots that were too high for
ticket sales to support.
Nettles
still feels she has much work ahead of her and expects to keep on
producing The Lotto Report for many years to come.
"I
will retire from my work the day that the Texas Lottery or the Texas
Legislature instructs the Texas Lottery to make good on cheated winners,"
she promised.
