In an extraordinary twist of fate, or perhaps brilliant strategy, an individual or group who clinched the rollicking sum of $95 million from last year’s Texas Lottery has left everyone dumbstruck. Winner, or winners, of this colossal jackpot reportedly turned the tables on luck itself, by deploying a shrewd – but utterly legal – scheme. According to reports discovered by the Houston Chronicle, luck it seems had little to do with it—the victor(s) made a calculated gamble by buying every possible winning number combination.
Investing one dollar on each ticket, the mysterious player(s) purchased some 25.8 million tickets, effectively pitting every possible winning number combination against the system. This grand undertaking didn’t stop at securing the major jackpot alone. Records reveal that a staggering 289 secondary prizes were also claimed by the same party for matching five of the six numbers. Little doubt remains that they scooped up all the lower-grade prizes as well. Though the Texas Lottery doesn’t record smaller victories, these are estimated to add another $2.5 million to the already generous winnings.
Drawing on information from the Texas Lottery Commission, it has been found that in the instance of this particular draw, just over 28 million Lotto Texas tickets were sold, in stark contrast with the usual 1 to 2 million tickets. This marked increase in sales coincided with the draw that took place on April 22, 2023—a day that has proven to be a historic anomaly in the lottery’s annals, with the game suddenly transforming into a mathematical exploit.
The stakes on that day, after 93 rollovers, had shot up to a towering $95 million. The victor(s) had essentially placed a wager of $25.8 million to bag the $95 million pot, which, however, after being carved up by state and federal taxes, was reduced to a still hefty $57.8 million. While still a somewhat risky maneuver, the payoff was undeniably grand.
Even in the case of sharing the jackpot, the clandestine player(s) would still enjoy a modest profit, including the impressive tally of secondary prizes. The Houston Chronicle’s numbers wizards estimate that owing to the towering jackpot combined with minimal competition, there was over a 90% chance of the mystery player(s) winning the entire jackpot.
Their sweep of the lottery also meant that each participating Texan unknowingly had only a shot at half the prize. The question that boggles everyone’s mind, however, is the identity of these crafty winner(s).
Answering to the collective curiosity, Rook TX, a limited firm based in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, emerged. Apparently having been established solely for the purpose of collecting these substantial winnings, Rook TX succeeded in remaining cloaked in anonymity. A strategy not unheard of, as Texas legislation lets winners of prizes exceeding $1 million maintain their anonymity since 2015.
Finally, and perhaps puzzlingly, how does one acquire 25.8 million tickets when the Texas Lottery usually sells a maximum of 2 million a week? The answer to this mystery lies within the pages of the records, which show most of the tickets being sold by just four businesses. One of these, a modest enterprise named Lottery Now situated in a nondescript strip mall in Colleyville, defied its unassuming exterior and sold 11 million tickets for the draw, a feat that must’ve required round-the-clock printing.
