Winner "stayed up all night" after discovering the life-altering win
By Kate Northrop
MESQUITE, Texas — A winner who recently claimed a $41 million Lotto Texas jackpot has revealed that they haven't missed participating in a single drawing in 30 years.
After three straight decades of nonstop Lotto Texas play, a Texas resident has finally earned their highest reward yet: a $41 million jackpot.
On April 20, the Lotto Texas jackpot was won by a single ticket sold at a 7-Eleven convenience store on Interstate Highway 30 in Mesquite, a town on the outskirts of Dallas.
It was a Quick Pick that matched all the winning numbers drawn: 21, 28, 33, 34, 43, and 44. It was also the result of an unfathomable streak of lottery ticket purchases.
"We haven't missed a Lotto Texas drawing in 30 years," the anonymous winner told the Texas Lottery.
Lotto Texas tickets first went on sale on Nov. 7, 1992, with the first drawing taking place on Nov. 14, 1992. Based on the winner's account, their streak began in 1996 and has gone uninterrupted since then.
Lottery winners in Texas of $1 million or more have the option to remain anonymous when claiming their prize. Lottery Post maintains a state-by-state guide to anonymity laws across the USA and some other nations.
The winner recalled to Lottery officials how their spouse was the one to discover the win, checking the ticket over and over several times before they could be sure it was real. When the news was too exciting to bear alone, they woke the winner up to relay the win and proceeded to promptly fall asleep.
But the winner didn't fall asleep as easily as their partner.
"I stayed up all night thinking about it!" the Richardson resident said in a press release.
Having chosen to take the cash option of the prize, the claimant received $22,574,163.57 before taxes.
When Lottery staff asked what they plan on doing with their winnings, the winner replied that they're eager to use the prize money to help their children and grandchildren. Not too far down on the to-do list is making the time to travel.
"There's a whole world out there I need to see!" the winner remarked.
This win marked the end of a jackpot run that began as a $5 million prize on Nov. 17, 2025 and ended after 66 consecutive drawings on April 20, 2026.
For selling the jackpot-winning ticket, the retailer may receive a $25,000 bonus from the Lottery. Retailers receive a flat bonus amount depending on the game they sell a winning ticket for, regardless of the prize amount.
The Lotto Texas jackpot currently stands at $6.75 million for the next drawing on Saturday, May 9. Lotto Texas drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. Central Time. All Lotto Texas winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Texas Lottery Results page right after each drawing.
That's what I call dedication!
Glad that it paid off!
Congrats!
really I did same thing zero
Thousands buy season tickets so they never miss one either.
"I stayed up all night thinking about it!" the Richardson resident said in a press release.
That's why I never check my tickets at night, I want to have a peaceful sleep 😴
When Lottery staff asked what they plan on doing with their winnings, the winner replied that they're eager to use the prize money to help their children and grandchildren. Not too far down on the to-do list is making the time to travel.
That's a good plan right there, that would be me to, traveling all over the place like the world was about to end 🤣🤣
Congratulations 🎉 on the win, happy that the QP paid off.
* No doubt about it...
Very interesting...
I didn't know that!
Me to bud me to......@30 years never missing a jackpot........
I hope he made a profit lol 🤣. Consistency paid off
I haven't miss a drawing since 2009
Yes, he made a huge profit playing every draw for 30 years. As you can see no matter how much he spent he came out winning 41 million dollars and getting over 20 million lump sum after taxes... Cha Ching!!!
$1 each draw for 30 years cost him: $4,680
$2 each draw for 30 years cost him: $9,360
$5 each draw for 30 years cost him: $23,400
$10 each draw for 30 years cost him: $46,800
$20 each draw for 30 years cost him: $93,600
$100 each draw for 30 years cost him: $468,000
Wow, 30 years of playing every single drawing is some serious dedication. It just goes to show that persistence really can pay off in the lottery, even if it takes a long time. For us Michigan players, it's a good reminder that every ticket is a chance, and sometimes those long-term players hit it big. It makes you wonder if they had any special number picking strategy or if it was just pure luck with Quick Picks over all that time.
It's interesting that it was a quick pick. I've heard stories of people playing the same numbers for years and they finally hit. Double consecutive numbers are rare. Congrats I probably wouldn't have slept either lol