Winner waits nearly until the very last minute
By Kate Northrop
Less than a week before a $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot was set to expire, a South Dakota-based trust stepped forward to claim it.
Last month, the Texas Lottery put out a last call for an expiring $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot. Just this week, mere days before it expired, the winner brought the winning ticket forward.
The winner claimed under a trust based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, called Jua-Ri Trust Agreement Trident Trust Company, Inc. and opted for the cash option of the estimated $78 million annuitized prize.
Before taxes, they received $43,757,223.10. Had the May 14 deadline passed, they wouldn't have seen a single cent. They made the claim on May 8, just six days left on the clock. Lottery winners in Texas have 180 days from the draw date to validate tickets for prizes.
Whoever bought the winning ticket chose their own numbers and matched all six numbers drawn in the Nov. 15, 2025 Lotto Texas drawing: 7, 17, 23, 28, 39, and 48. They purchased the ticket at Gordon's Bait & Tackle on Padre Island Highway in Brownsville.
The jackpot started its run on Feb. 19, 2025 and reached an astounding 116 drawings without a winner across the span of nine months. It is the sixth-largest Lotto Texas jackpot in history. The biggest Lotto Texas jackpot to-date is a $145 million prize won by a ticket purchased in El Paso in 2004.
This is also not the first time a large jackpot was claimed by a South Dakota-based trust in Texas. In November 2023, the Blue Yucca Trust of Rapid City made Texas state history when they claimed a $360 million Mega Millions jackpot, the largest lottery prize ever paid out to a Texas lottery player.
But if Texas allows winners of $1 million or more to claim prizes anonymously, why bother going through the lengths to claim under a trust?
South Dakota is a popular state to incorporate a trust, not because the state imposes no income tax, but because a properly structured trust domiciled in South Dakota can shelter investment income from the income taxes of the state where the beneficiary actually lives.
For a winner living in Texas, this wouldn't necessarily be an advantage, since Texas also does not impose an income tax, including on capital gains. A South Dakota trust would be more appealing to those living in a high-tax state, such as California or New York.
However, there is also no rule against perpetuities when forming a trust in South Dakota, which means that a trust is not forced to dissolve and distribute assets after a period of time, therefore preventing estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. It's a popular way to secure a legacy for future generations while being free of additional taxes, so it would be advantageous for any big lottery winner.
There is also a stronger level of security around privacy laws in South Dakota, in which state law forbids the release of trust information to the public and does not allow a pathway to petition the court at all. In other words, determined litigators looking for more information on a winner would not even have a way to do so.
The Lotto Texas jackpot currently stands at $7.25 million for the next drawing on Wednesday, May 13. 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.
WOW Cashing a winning jackpot ticket a week before it expires that's what you call gambling.
Very very suspicious with so much Bulk purchase scams in Texas 😊🍹🙏
I would say that this was a well planned decision and expertly executed.
It is not easy claiming a lottery ticket and maintaining a normal lifestyle anymore because the public wanting to much information about the winner or winners.
Being secretive doesn't always equate to nefarious and sinister plots involved.
l have no problem with winners Claiming wins but with less than 7 days to spare that reminds me of one person Eddie Tipton . This was Exactly his play Book 📕 He waited till the last minute and got lots of crazy attorneys to hide his identity 😃🙏🐀
Congrats to the winner/winners. I hope your newly created wealth is enjoyed for many years to come.
Lotto Texas is not RNG.
Am fully aware but scam is scam 🍹🍹
Smart cookies!
What kind of trust?
Congrats to the lucky winners, I like they bought the ticket at a Bait and Tackle shop,
I thought Trusts were not allowed? Last time I checked it had to be a natural person and not an entity even if anonymous.
The state of the win controls so they now allowed a trust from the home of the winner for a second time. This does create an extra layer of anonymity. Interesting. I am wondering if other anonymous states would allow this as well.
This is a new strategy to me.
The more research I read on these debt asset protection trusts, the less I like them, at least for me.
"When you place assets in an irrevocable Debt Asset Protection Trust (APT), you generally give up direct ownership and control over those assets to a third-party trustee to shield them from creditors. While you lose direct control, you can still structure the trust to benefit from the assets and dictate how they are managed through a trust."
These trusts are also IRREVOCABLE so you cannot dissolve it after you get your $.
Something fishy going on SMH Texas lottery doesn't seem like it's only Texas people playing 😂 Texas lottery has lost a lot of respect in Texas from Texas lottery players