Texas Trust Secures $78 Million Lotto Jackpot Days Before Ticket Expiration

A South Dakota‑based trust, the Jua‑Ri Trust Agreement of Trident Trust Company, claimed a $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot on May 8, just before the winning ticket’s May 14 deadline. The ticket, sold at Gordon’s Bait & Tackle in Brownsville, Texas, matched the numbers drawn on November 15 and had gone unclaimed for 116 consecutive drawings, making it the sixth‑largest jackpot in Texas history. The trust elected to receive a one‑time lump‑sum payment of $43.76 million before taxes, as permitted by Texas Lottery rules that allow winners to collect within 180 days and to claim through legal entities. The lottery also reported a separate $5 million scratch‑off win at a gas station in Brenham, Texas, but the primary story concerns the trust’s high‑value claim.