“Texas may be going through a cold spell, but Lotto Texas is heating up,” said Ryan Mindell, executive director of the Texas Lottery. The jackpot has been rolling since June 26, 2024, when it started at $5 million. If no winner emerges on Wednesday, the prize will increase to an estimated $72 million for the Saturday, Jan. 25 drawing, according to the Texas Lottery.
The current jackpot run marks the 91st drawing since it began and is the largest since April 22, 2023, when the jackpot reached $95 million. The record for the largest Lotto Texas jackpot was set on June 19, 2004, with a $145 million prize claimed by VOM Enterprises, Ltd. in El Paso.
Throughout its 32-year history, Lotto Texas has seen five jackpots in the $70 million range, with the last occurring on Oct. 21, 2009, when MAED Trust claimed a $76 million prize. The most recent winner was an Austin resident who won $29 million on June 24, 2024.
While the jackpot remains unclaimed, many players have won lower-tier prizes. In the Jan. 20 drawing, 66,939 tickets, including those with the Extra! add-on feature, won prizes ranging from $2 to $11,889. Lotto Texas is played by selecting six numbers from one to 54, with drawings held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. CT. Ticket sales close at 10:02 p.m. CT on drawing days.
Since its inception in 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated over $40 billion in revenue for the state and awarded more than $90 billion in prizes. Contributions to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education, have totaled $34.32 billion since 1997. Additionally, the Texas Lottery has contributed over $259 million to programs supporting Texas veterans since 2009. For more information, visit texaslottery.com.
