After winning $26.75 million, Texas lottery winner has two things in mind: steak and boots
A Lake Jackson resident claimed a Lotto Texas jackpot advertised at an annuitized $26.75 million and received the lump sum prize of $14,303,717.61 before taxes, the Texas Lottery said.
The Quick Pick ticket matched 15-16-25-28-38-53 in the August 10 drawing and was bought at Murphy USA 5695 at 1803 N. Velasco St. in Angleton. The store collected a $25,000 bonus under the state's retailer program.
The winner started checking tickets in the Texas Lottery app right after the drawing and went through the numbers by hand.
"When I checked the numbers myself and got down to the last line, I realized what I had and I couldn't believe it."
The winner called their spouse immediately and stayed on the phone while driving over to meet them. The winner said they are working with a financial adviser, a lawyer, and a CPA on debts and long-term security for the family.
"I want to be as responsible as possible. But first, I'm going to get a steak and pair of boots."
The cash option was chosen before the numbers were drawn
The cash value option was selected at the time of purchase. In Texas a player decides on the ticket for annuity or cash option and not at the claim window, so the choice between $26.75 million spread over decades and $14.3 million now was made before the ticket had won.
A better conversion than the national games are paying
This jackpot's cash option is worth 53.5% of its advertised annuity. The three multistate games we track are all near 42%.
| Game | Advertised jackpot | Cash value | Cash as a share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto Texas, August 10 | $26,750,000 | $14,303,717.61 | 53.5% |
| Mega Millions, current | $209,000,000 | $89,700,000 | 42.9% |
| Powerball, current | $232,000,000 | $98,600,000 | 42.5% |
| Lotto America, current | $41,600,000 | $17,600,000 | 42.3% |
Eleven points is a lot of money on a prize this size. Both Lotto Texas and the national games pay an annuity over 30 years, so the length is not the difference. Powerball and Mega Millions raise each annual payment by 5% over the one before, which pushes the advertised total well above the lump sum funding it.
The taxes
Texas has no state income tax, so the only immediate deduction is the 24% federal withholding. On $14,303,717.61 that is $3,432,892, leaving about $10.87 million at the claim. An additional 13% (around $1.86 million) of federal taxes is due next April, since a prize this size lands in the top 37% federal bracket. So after calculating for all taxes, the take home is closer to $9 million.
Our lottery tax calculator runs the same numbers for any state and prize.
The jackpot began at an advertised $5 million for the April 22 drawing and ran 48 drawings before it was hit, adding about $453,000 per drawing. Lotto Texas is a six-number game drawn from 1 to 54, with drawings Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:12 p.m. Central.
Sources
Texas Lottery: Lake Jackson resident claims $26.75 million Lotto Texas jackpot
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Lake Jackson Lotto Texas winner actually get?
They received $14,303,717.61 before taxes. The advertised jackpot of $26.75 million was the annuitized figure, paid over decades. The cash value option had been selected when the ticket was bought, so that choice was already locked in before the drawing.
Why is the Lotto Texas cash option higher than Powerball's?
This jackpot converted at 53.5% of its advertised annuity. Powerball currently sits at 42.5% and Mega Millions at 42.9%. The gap comes down to how each game builds its annuity, since Powerball and Mega Millions grow each annual payment by 5%, which inflates the headline relative to the cash behind it.
How long did the Lotto Texas jackpot roll?
Forty-eight drawings. It started as an advertised $5 million prize for the April 22 drawing and was hit on August 10, growing to $26.75 million. That works out to about $453,000 added per drawing across the run.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
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