Texas Lottery: $145 million winner contacts lottery officialsLotto Texas: Lucky store sees ticket sales rise
The winner of Saturday's $145 million Lotto Texas jackpot who bought the ticket in El Paso contacted the Texas Lottery Commission on Monday.
"They have passed initial inquiry, meaning they read the unique number off the front of the ticket determining that is the winning ticket," said Bobby Heith, director of media relations for the commission, in a telephone interview from Austin. "Hopefully, they are seeking legal and/or financial advice and will call us back and tell us when they want to come in and claim their prize."
The winner's name will be released at that time.
"I wish luck to that guy because it's nice to have money, especially millions," said Jack Tijerina, who bought a Cash Five lottery ticket Monday at the Chevron gas station and convenience store where the winning ticket was sold.
Employees of the Downtown gas station, at 715 N. Stanton, where the ticket was sold say they are seeing a surge in customers as lottery players hope for the lucky station to pay off again.
"A lot of people think lightning might strike twice," said Fernie Salazar, operations manager for C&R Distributing Inc., which owns the gas station.
Employees said they originally thought the store would receive $1.45 million, or 1 percent of the jackpot, for selling the ticket, but learned that the highest amount possible was $500,000.
How the money is spent "will be determined by a committee decision at our corporate office," said Chris Anderson, general manager for the company. "We've never even thought about this before, so it is something we haven't even considered."
Although the winner of the prize had not been identified by Monday afternoon, El Pasoans continued to wonder whom it could be as they dreamed of what they would do if they joined the winner by snagging tonight's estimated $150 jackpot in the multistate Mega Millions lottery game.
"I think luck is going to pass by here again," said Manny Hernandez, who stopped by the gas station to buy a Mega Millions ticket. "If I win the big one, I'm going to make everybody happy. I'll make a big party."
Eastsider Rudy Martinez bought five Mega Millions tickets at the gas station, where he bought 10 Lotto Texas tickets last week.
"I wish it was me because everybody has that dream," he said. "If I won, I would share it with the poor people because I'm a good Christian."
The odds of winning tonight's Mega Millions jackpot are one in about 135 million.
