Deadline to claim $78M Lotto Texas jackpot is only a month away

The deadline to claim a Texas lottery jackpot worth $78 million is only a month away, state lottery officials said.

According to an April 9 release from the Texas Lottery, the winning ticket was sold at Gordon’s Bait & Tackle in Brownsville, Texas, and matched the numbers in the Lotto Texas drawing on Saturday, Nov. 15. The winning numbers drawn were 7-17-23-28-39-48.

"The cash value option was selected at the time of purchase and a claimant would receive $43,757,223.10 before taxes," the news release said.

Officials added that the ticket holder must call the Texas Lottery to make an appointment to present their winning ticket in person at the Texas Lottery headquarters in Austin, Texas.

The deadline to claim the jackpot is 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 14.

What happens if the lottery prize is not claimed?

According to lottery officials, the prize money is forfeited and used for state programs authorized by the Texas Legislature, and that forfeiture kicks in 180 days after the draw date.

“The deadline may be extended for a period of time for certain eligible military personnel," officials said.

The jackpot was the sixth-largest in Lotto Texas history when it was hit. The winning jackpot was originally advertised as a $5 million prize in February 2025, but the game stretched to a record 116 drawings until the lucky ticket was won in November.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.