Texas Convenience Store Becomes Focal Point After One of Two $1.8 Billion Powerball Tickets Sold There
Big’s 103 in Fredericksburg sold one of two matching Powerball tickets; the winner has not come forward and the store is receiving intense local attention
A Fredericksburg convenience store that sold one of two winning Powerball tickets for the $1.8 billion jackpot announced Sunday has become the center of a local frenzy even though the identity of the winning ticket holder remains unknown.
The Texas Lottery Commission said one of the two tickets with all matching numbers was sold at Big’s 103, located at 11905 E. U.S. Highway 290 in Fredericksburg; the other winning ticket was sold in Missouri. The winner who purchased the ticket in Texas opted for the cash option and will receive approximately $410.3 million before taxes if they claim the prize.
Store manager Melanie Carter, 36, said employees learned of the win on a group text and that she worked a Sunday shift she had not been scheduled for to handle media and customer interest. "We don't know when the ticket was sold, who it was sold to, or who sold the ticket. We want to know. We're excited," Carter said.
Carter said the unidentified buyer filled out the play slip by hand rather than using the computer-generated quick-pick option. The Texas Lottery Commission said the winner has up to 180 days from the drawing to claim the prize at the agency's Austin headquarters. Texas law allows winners of prizes over $1 million to claim anonymously; however, lottery officials can release a winner's city or county of residence once a claim is filed.
The store quickly embraced its association with the winning ticket, posting "Winning Powerball SOLD HERE!" on its glass storefront. Area supervisor Jaime Aquirre, 43, and other employees described a surge in foot traffic and ticket sales after the announcement. Carter said locals and tourists have been asking staff repeatedly whether they were the winner and that sales of lottery tickets spiked in the wake of the news.
The Texas Lottery Commission said the retailer could be eligible for a $250,000 bonus for selling a jackpot-winning ticket. Carter said the store opened in February and has no previous experience with a winning ticket of this size. She added the staff hoped the cashier who sold the ticket would be recognized if the retailer award is paid.
Lottery officials advised anyone who believes they hold the winning ticket to sign it, keep it secure, seek financial and legal counsel and contact the Texas Lottery to schedule an appointment to claim the prize. The winning ticket in Texas will share the $1.8 billion jackpot with the Missouri ticket holder.
Fredericksburg sits in the Texas Hill Country and draws many weekend tourists to its wineries and shops. Big’s 103 is on Highway 290, a route that connects the town with Austin. Store employees said that because of the town’s tourist traffic, the buyer could have been a local or a traveler who stopped to purchase a ticket.
The identity of the winning ticket holder remains private until a claim is filed. State officials did not provide additional details about the sale time or the person who filled out the hand-marked play slip beyond noting that public information released so far is based on the winning ticket data and standard lottery procedures.