Lotto Texas Winning Ticket Worth $78 Million Will Soon Expire

On May 14, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Lewis & Clark departed St. Louis on their historic expedition on May 14, 1804. Another milestone could take place on May 14, 2026...and it could cost a Texas resident millions of dollars.

Lotto Texas Winning Ticket Expiring Soon

On November 15, 2025, a Lotto Texas ticket purchased at Gordon's Bait & Tackle on Padre Island Highway in Brownsville matched all six winning numbers. That ticket is worth an estimated annuitized $78 million. Whoever bought that winner selected the cash value option, so that claimant would receive $43,757,223.10 before taxes. I'm not adept at tax laws, but I would ballpark the walkaway winnings for this person to be in the neighborhood of $20-$25 million.

READ MORE: $78 Million Winning Ticket Sold At This Store in Texas

The person who possesses that ticket has 180 days from the drawing to claim the jackpot. The close of business on May 14 represents those 180 days, and as of this posting (April 15), that winning ticket has NOT BEEN CLAIMED.

How To Claim The Lotto Texas Jackpot

Whoever has that winning Lotto Texas ticket must call the Texas Lottery to schedule processing, then present the ticket in person for validation at the Texas Lottery headquarters, located at 1801 Congress Ave., in Austin, by 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 14. The deadline may be extended for certain eligible military personnel. Unclaimed prizes revert to the state for programs authorized by the Texas Legislature.

Over $300 million worth of Texas Lottery prize money has been unclaimed through the years, but this $78 million winning ticket would, by far, be the biggest loss of money. Take a look at some of the biggest unclaimed jackpot amounts in Texas Lottery history.