Boerne man hits big with lotterylottery scratchoffscratch off

JEFF B. FLINN Managing Editor
Today, 05:00 AM

A Boerne resident has claimed a $5 million top prize in the Texas Lottery’s $400 Million Mega Bucks scratch ticket game, according to a press release from the Texas Lottery.

Sukhwinder Bal owns the Metro Stop convenience store at 1415 E. Blanco Road, Suite 15, near Boerne ISD Stadium, where the winning ticket was purchased. Bal said while the winner is a frequent customer — who chose to remain anonymous — he does not know him by name.

The Boerne resident who purchased a scratchoff ticket wor th $ 5 million plays the Mega Bucks on a regular basis, according to the owner of the convenience store that sold the ticket.

“He buys a whole pack of this one all the time,” Bal said. “He spends the $1,500 for the whole pack.

“He buys all the time, twice a week or three times a week,” Bal added.

While stores selling draw game tickets — where players select a set of numbers, which are then compared to numbers drawn in a lottery, such as Mega Millions and Powerball — receive percentage of a winner’s ticket, Bal said he and his store do not receive compensation when a scratch-off hits big.

“No, I get nothing for this,” he said. “But I am always happy when my customers win.” This is the second of four top prizes worth $5 million to be claimed in the game. According to the Texas Lottery, $400 Million Mega Bucks offers more than $419.3 million in total prizes.

The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.84, with prizes starting at $150.

Since its inception in 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated more than $41 billion in revenue for the state and has awarded over $92 billion in prizes.

Proceeds benefit public education through the Foundation School Fund, and since 2009, more than $273 million has gone toward programs supporting Texas veterans.