AUSTIN -- The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday is among the largest ever, spiking to $500 million -- a big deal, since lottery sales nationwide dropped 35 percent last year.
The KVUE Defenders spent the past few months crunching the numbers to see which stores sell the most winning tickets and where the biggest winners live.
According to Texas Lottery Commission Data, John's Food Mart at 2238 East Ben White Blvd. in South Austin is among the stores in Central Texas that have sold the most winning lottery tickets the past five years.
Charles and John Chahda opened John's Food Mart 23 years ago.
"We really do sell a lot of winning scratch offs," said Charles Chahda. "I'll give you an example, today someone won $500. This is today."
Charles sold two customers big winning tickets within six months of each other. One was worth $40,000, the other $50,000.
"He started running around the display," Chahda said. "I was like, 'What is wrong?' He said, 'I don't want to have a heart attack. I don't want to have a heart attack.' I said, 'What happened?' He said, 'I won $50,000!'"
The H-E-B off RM 620 and RM 2222 in Northwest Austin is also a hot spot for winning lottery tickets. Over the last five years, it has sold three big winning scratch-off tickets worth $40,000. Scratch-offs make up 75 percent of Texas lottery sales.
Mapping the winners
So what about the bigger prizes?
Let's start with Mega Millions. In the last five years, there were four big winners: A $13 million winner in Houston, a $19 million in Moulton, a $35 million winner in Granbury and a $144 million winner in Katy.
Mega Millions Winners
As for the Powerball winners? Texas has only been part of the Powerball game since 2010. In 2013, Paul McDowell hit the nearly $30 million jackpot in North Texas. In Austin, three people have won $1 million and one person has won $2 million. There has also been a $1 million winner in Round Rock, a $2 million winner in Fredericksburg and a $2 million dollar winner in New Braunfels.
Powerball Winners
Odds of Winning
Perspective is important. The overall odds of winning any prize, even just $4, are 1 in 31.85. The odds of winning the big Powerball jackpot are 1 in 175 million.
"I know there's a long chance and stuff, but you know something it's a dollar, five, maybe six dollars a month. It's not that big of an expense," said customer Sandra.
The reality is: Luck is elusive. Charles Chahda played his first scratch off ticket in 15 years with the KVUE Defenders.
"I didn't win anything," he said.
Minutes later, someone else in his store won $10.
Scratch off help
Want to know which scratch off games to play?
Go here to look for the games that have yet to pay out the big prizes.
Millions goes unclaimed
The other lesson: Keep your tickets. Last year, $78 million in winning lottery money went unclaimed. Over the last five years, more than half a million dollars in winning Powerball and Mega Millions money went unclaimed in Central Texas alone.
"That's good to know," said customer Jesse Martinez.
