Update: The original version of this story reported that one Rio Grande Valley resident won $100,000. Now, ValleyCentral has learned two winners from the Valley have claimed the top prize amount from the Texas Lottery’s Nutcracker Cash scratch-off game.
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Christmas arrived early for one lucky Rio Grande Valley woman who claimed $100,000 in winnings from the Texas Lottery.
Better make that two. It turns out a man from Penitas had also claimed $100,000 in the same game back in November.
The substantial prize was claimed Dec. 7 at the McAllen claims center for the lottery by a Rio Grande City woman. But ValleyCentral also learned that a Penitas resident had also claimed a winning ticket Nov. 14. Both were worth $100,000 each.
The Starr County woman bought the winning $5 scratch-off from The Country Store 1, at 115 H and H Drive in Rio Grande City, and the ticket sold in Hidalgo County was bought at Mini Max 1, at 17523 Sabal Palm Drive in Penitas, according to Texas Lottery records obtained Wednesday by ValleyCentral.
Both winning lottery scratch game tickets came through the $5 Nutcracker Cash game, with $100,000 being the game’s top prize, according to the Texas Lottery.
Four of the five available tickets with the top prize have now been claimed in the game. The Starr County claimant was the third to win in the game, records show. The fourth winner claimed the top prize on Monday in Humble, Texas. The second top-prize winner made a claim in November in Kingwood.
But the first claim of the top prize came from Penitas, Texas.
In Rio Grande City, the local community has already been talking as the convenience store has seen a rise in customers since the prize was claimed.
“A lot of customers are very excited,” said Selena Peña, an employee with The Country Store.
Peña told ValleyCentral the ticket was sold last week and quickly claimed.
This is the first time the store sold a scratch ticket with such a high prize amount, she said.
“Normally, they win $500 or $550,” Pena said.
