Texas Woman Sentenced After Stealing $100K From Nonprofit to Fund Online Sweepstakes Casino Habit
Posted on: February 25, 2026, 01:35h.
Last updated on: February 25, 2026, 01:35h.
- A Texas woman pleaded guilty to stealing almost $100K from a nonprofit
- The accountant gambled away the money on an unregulated online sweepstakes casino
- The guilty party will spend 50 days in a county jail
A Texas woman who admitted to stealing almost $100,000 from a nonprofit that assists individuals in crises will spend the next 50 days in county jail. Her punishment won’t be over once her time behind bars is served.
This morning, KLTV reported that Smith County District Court Judge Kerry Russell sentenced Dawn Michelle Pitcock, 54, to 50 days in jail, 240 hours of community service, and $117,010.65 in restitution. The disgraced accountant must pay a minimum of $1,300 a month to Hand Up Network, the Tyler-based charity that was the victim in the case.
Hand Up provides “a hand” instead of a “hand out” to survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence. The nonprofit additionally assists local residents in immigration services, such as obtaining residency cards and citizenship.
Accountant Gambled Charitable Funds
As Hand Up Network’s accountant, Pitcock admitted to stealing money from the nonprofit through 283 unauthorized transactions to an Apple Pay account she controlled. A financial investigation determined that Pitcock stole $96,826.58 between March 2024 and March 2025.
The money was used to buy virtual chips on an online sweepstakes casino website. Such unregulated gambling platforms use a dual-currency arrangement where sweeps casinos can be purchased and played, with winning credits able to be redeemed for cash withdrawals.
After being first approached by the CEO of Hand Up, Pitcock reportedly said her Apple Pay account had been hacked and that her iPad and iPhone had been stolen and used improperly during the 12 months in question. Pitcock eventually confessed to the crime, conceding that all of the money had been lost gambling online.
Texas does not have any form of commercial gambling aside from the state-run lottery. Both online casino gambling and sports betting are illegal in the Lone Star State.
Unregulated Gaming
Social sweepstakes casinos that essentially allow players to gamble for real money have faced opposition from the legal gaming industry and scrutiny from gaming regulators, attorneys general, and lawmakers.
While many states have issued cease and desist orders to the unregulated sweepstakes casinos, prominent examples being Chumba Casino, Modo Casino, and Stake, Texas has not.
Chumba, Modo, and Stake all remain available in Texas, as do hundreds of other online sweepstakes casinos.
Unlike regulated gambling, where operators are required to offer responsible gaming tools and implement consumer safeguards, no regulatory authority oversees sweepstakes to mandate such conditions.
A Casino.org investigation last year created an account and played for real money. After closing the account and telling the social sweepstakes casino that it was due to having a gambling problem, a representative reached out and said:
“Fingers crossed for better luck next time. If you wish to reopen, please just reach out to me. I’ll do my best to pop some free sweeps coins in your account on reopening.”
No comments yet