Midland Woman Collects $5 Million Jackpot

Monday, March 3, 2003

Valentine's Day was a little sweeter than usual this year for Brenda Lee Anderson of Midland. That's when she realized she held the winning $5 million Lotto Texas ticket for the February 12 drawing. Anderson claimed her jackpot prize at Texas Lottery Commission headquarters in Austin. Anderson chose the Cash Value Option and will receive $3,038,100, before taxes.

A fortunate conversation with her best friend prompted Anderson to check her numbers. "My best friend said no one had claimed the winning Midland ticket," recounted Anderson. "Well, I had bought my ticket at the same 7-Eleven, so we decided to check on it and went back to the store for a receipt with the winning numbers.

"We went through the ticket numbers (1-18-20-21-52-54) three or four times and my best friend kept telling me to breathe because she didn't know CPR," said Anderson. "And we were just screaming and screaming in the car. People started looking at us, so we got out of the 7-Eleven parking lot fast."

Anderson bought her Quick Pick ticket at 7-Eleven #814, located at 4324 Andrews Highway in Midland. The retailer is eligible to receive a $50,000 bonus for selling the top-prize-winning ticket.

A self-proclaimed random player, Anderson said she almost didn't buy a Lotto Texas ticket the night of the drawing. "It was late, like 9:45 p.m., and it was cold, so I went into the store to pay with cash instead of using my card at the pump. There were too many people in line, so I just paid and went back to my car. But I decided to go back in and wait behind three people."
Anderson has been working two jobs and now plans to focus her efforts on her full-time job. After receiving professional legal and financial advice, she has decided to buy a house with a big yard, a plan that really excites her two children.

"My daughter wants a horse in the yard, but I think we'll get a Golden Retriever," Anderson said. "I'll spend a lot of the prize money on my kids and their education."
Anderson's parents, Marian and Paul Schuh, traveled from her native state of Wisconsin to Midland to congratulate Anderson. They drove together to Austin for the official celebration.

The Financial Aspect of Feb 12, 2003 Win Total Sales In Roll: $7,897,392 Players 55%; State 45%
Players share (55%)	$4,343,566		State's share (45%	$3,553,826
6 of 6 winner share Investment Cost - Amt winner pd	$2,964,049 $3,038,100		Retailers (5%)	$552,818
3, 4, 5, of 6 winners won	$1,316,490		TLC (7%)	$394,869
Total $$ Won by Players	$4,354,590		Schools (33%)	$2,606,139
Players Overpaid	$11,024		Total	$3,553,826

Dalhart Family Collect $5 Million Jackpot

Feb 21, 2003

For a Dalhart family, using the same family-chosen Lotto Texas numbers for 10 years has paid off. Gene Leroy McDaneld, managing partner of GCT & T Partners, claimed the $5 million Lotto Texas jackpot at Texas Lottery Commission headquarters on Feb 21, 2003. . McDaneld chose the annuity option for the drawing on February 5, and will receive an initial payment of $265,211, before taxes, with 24 annual payments of $200,000 paid every February 15.

Joined in Austin by his wife, Cecelia, and their two daughters, Tina and Tami, McDaneld explained that when Lotto Texas started in November 1992, he, his wife and his daughters selected five sets of six numbers.

"We would match three numbers every once in a while, and even got four numbers once or twice, but it's really hard to believe when six numbers match," said Cecelia McDaneld, 50, who did her part by buying the winning ticket at Depot Discount Liquor, 711 S. Highway 87 in Dalhart. The retailer is eligible for a $50,000 bonus.

Cecelia McDaneld has been working two part-time jobs in addition to her full-time job to make ends meet during rough economic times. When she realized that her numbers had won, she said, "My heart went to my stomach. I felt relieved that this money would help us, but I also felt nervous about the money."

Gene McDaneld, an irrigation motor mechanic, said he intends to continue playing the same numbers and looks forward to seeing more of his wife, since she's thinking about taking a breather from her part-time jobs.

"We want to pay off debt and go from there," said Cecelia McDaneld. "We're also hopeful that we can help our youngest daughter, Tami, finish college. We're already so proud of our oldest daughter, Tina, who is teaching."

The McDanelds' immediate family traveled to Austin with them to celebrate, including their son-in-law, Keith Creager, their grandson, and Gene's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eldon McDaneld from Kansas.

The winning numbers were 33-5-21-35-48-13.

The Financial Aspect of Feb 5, 2003 Win Total Sales In Roll: $8,165,087 Players 55%; State 45%
Players share (55%)	$4,490,798		State's share (45%	$3,674,289
6 of 6 winner won	$3,064,520		Retailers (5%)	$571,556
3, 4, 5, of 6 winners won	$1,402,714		TLC (7%)	$408,254
Total $$ Won by Players	$4,467,234		Schools (33%)	$2,694,479
Players Shorted	<$23,564>		Total	$3,674,289

Lotto Texas Winner From Arlington
Claims Share of $53 Million

Feb 7, 2003

An Arlington woman who routinely buys Lotto Texas tickets when she meets friends for lunch at a Grand Prairie Kroger store decided to spend her lunch hour at the Texas Lottery Commission on Feb 7th.. Rosalie Perkov, trustee of Perkov Family Trust, claimed her share of the $53 million Lotto Texas jackpot from the drawing on January 22, 2003. Perkov chose the Cash Value Option, and will receive $16.2 million before taxes.

Perkov bought the winning Lotto Texas ticket at Kroger 817, 2525 West I-20 in Grand Prairie. The retailer is eligible for a bonus of $250,000.

At the ceremonial check presentation, Perkov, 73, explained that she used to work at the grocery store before her retirement last February.

"I get together with my friends at Kroger's and we have lunch," explained Perkov. "I used to work there when it was Winn Dixie, so I go inside and say hello and buy a couple of Lotto Texas tickets. This time I told my son I'd go in on some Lotto Texas tickets with him, so I went in and bought three Quick Pick tickets."

Four of Perkov's regular lunch dates used to work with her at Winn Dixie during her nearly six years at the grocery store.

With a large family – nine children, 13 grandchildren, and two great grandchild born a day before the $53 million Lotto Texas drawing – Perkov said her plans for the windfall include her family.

"I just want the kids to be set," explained Perkov. "My husband and I moved here from upstate New York to be near family and also to get dialysis treatments for my husband on a schedule that isn't always influenced by the weather. We still have sons in New York and a son and daughters in the Metroplex, and we just want to know they're alright."

Perkov's family also played a role in her learning she had the winning ticket.

"My daughter came to the house and we watched the drawing on Channel 5 (KXAS-TV). When she didn't win on her tickets, she offered to check mine and my son's," said Perkov. "All the numbers matched on the very first line."

The winning numbers drawn were 46-42-17-28-25-40.

The Financial Aspect of Jan 22, 2003 Win - 2 Winners
Total Sales In Roll: $86,701,960
Players 55%; State 45%

Players share (55%)	$47,686,078		State's share (45%	$39,015,882
6 of 6 winner won	$32,540,980		Retailers (5%)	$4,335,098
3, 4, 5, of 6 winners won	$14,031,823		TLC (7%)	$6,069,137
Total $$ Won by Players	$46,572,803		Schools (33%)	$28,611,647
Players Shorted	<$1,113,275>		Total	$39,015,882

Lotto Texas Winner From Rio Grande Valley
Claims Share of $53 Million

Feb 3, 2003

Victory Trust claimed its share of the $53 million Lotto Texas jackpot from the Jan 22, 2003 drawing. Victor Delgadillo, and his wife, Paula, co-trustees, from San Juan, Texas, received a ceremonial check for $16,270,490.

"I never imagined that I could win," explained Delgadillo. "We were on the way to the dentist in Matamoros and we stopped for gas. My wife went in to pay and decided to buy a few tickets. The clerk thought she wanted scratch-offs, but she insisted on two Lotto Texas tickets."

The Delgadillos almost forgot about the tickets, especially since Delgadillo was getting over his dental procedure, but the morning after the drawing Delgadillo dropped his wallet and the ticket came fluttering out.

"I had just sent my son to the store to check the results on an older Lotto Texas ticket and I sent him out again," he explained.

Delgadillo, 51, and his wife, 53, bought the winning Quick Pick ticket at Speedy Stop, located at 1725 International Blvd in Brownsville.

Native of Guadalajara, Mexico, the Delgadillos came to the US in 1987 in search of the American dream, first to California and then settling in San Juan. Delgadillo, one of 18 children, remembers the sacrifices he and his wife made.

"We sacrificed a lot to send three of our four children to college so that they would be successful," Delgadillo, a partner in a trucking business.

"We're proud of our children, how they have worked hard to become professionals, always aware of their principles, and that's the greatest prize we could have. But, this prize, will allow us to help them and others in ways we never thought possible."

"We were watching a story on TV that showed how these children in Mexico were having to walk up to an hour to and from school because there weren't buses or cars," continued Delgadillo. "They were needing bicycles and my wife and I talked about how nice it would be to have some extra money to just load up a bunch of bicycles in a semi-trailer and deliver them. We still want to do that."

The winning numbers were 46-42-17-28-25-40.

Jan 10, 2003

Brownsville Player Claims $12 Million

(1-22-03 - Follow up story on this winner below this story.
He was arrested for possession of cocaine!)

While the "eyes of Texas" were watching for the person who bought a Lotto Texas ticket for the July 13, 2002 drawing to come forward before the ticket expired, a Brownsville man wasted no time in claiming his $12 million jackpot from a drawing just last month.

Jose Luis Betancourt claimed the jackpot for the December 11, 2002 Lotto Texas drawing on January 9, 2003. He chose the Cash Value Option, and will receive $7,508,809 before taxes. He said he plans to seek advice from financial professionals before making any firm decisions on what to do with his good fortune.

Betancourt credits his win to being a regular Lotto Texas player and playing the same numbers in 15 different sequences for more than a year now.

"I know that matching five numbers is difficult, so when I matched six numbers, I knew it was truly a miracle," said Betancourt.

Betancourt said he routinely checks his ticket numbers in the El Nuevo Heraldo, which is the Spanish edition of The Brownsville Herald newspaper. That's how he found out he’d won.
"When I checked the paper and realized I had won, I thought it was a wonderful experience, and then I felt very tranquil," he explained.

So wonderful that Betancourt says he will continue to play Lotto Texas, and his message for other players is, "S?, se puede - it can be done."

And he made this observation about the person who may have let a jackpot slip away.
"Too bad, this is why we play," said Betancourt. "If you don't buy the tickets, you can't win. When you win, you've got to claim it!"

Betancourt purchased his ticket from Tejano Mart #408 at 834 North Expressway 77/83 in Brownsville.

The numbers drawn were 5-16-28-35-46-51.

The Financial Aspect of Dec 11, 2002 Win
Total Sales In Roll: $20,006,420
Players 55%; State 45%

Players share (55%)	$11,003,531		State's share (45%	$9,002,889
6 of 6 winner won	$7,508,809		Retailers (5%)	$1,000,321
3, 4, 5, of 6 winners won	$3,238,967		TLC (7%)	$1,400,449
Total $$ Won by Players	$10,747,776		Schools (33%)	$6,602,119
Players Shorted	<$255,755>		Total	$9,002,889

Why weren't players paid their share of sales?

Lotto winner loses freedom in drug bust

By Lisa Marie Gomez
Special to the Express-News
Web Posted : 01/22/2003 12:00 AM

Tuesday, when Betancourt, 53, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Felix Recio here, his recent lottery windfall was one reason Recio ordered him held without bond.

In court documents, U.S. Customs agents reported searching his apartment and finding 1.63 kilograms of cocaine in four containers.

"After being granted consent, Betancourt led special agents to the kitchen area of the apartment," stated a criminal complaint signed by Special Agent Arturo Cantu. "Betancourt pointed towards the dishwasher and stated that 'it' was inside."

Three containers filled with a "white powdery substance" were in the dishwasher, and another was found in the kitchen pantry, the document stated. It tested positive for cocaine.

U.S. Customs spokesman Rick Pauza confirmed Betancourt was arrested Friday, but offered no other information, including how long the agency had been investigating him or if the government was considering an attempt to seize Betancourt's lottery winnings.

Betancourt could have received $12 million in installments, but chose the Cash Value Option and received $7,508,809 before taxes.

"When I checked ... el Nuevo Heraldo (the Spanish edition of the Brownsville Herald) and realized I had won, I thought it was a wonderful experience, and then I felt very tranquil," Betancourt said in a news release issued Jan. 9 by the Texas Lottery.

Keith Elkins, a spokesman for the lottery, said a background check on Betancourt, done on every lottery winner, came back clear.

"We usually check to see if a person owes money for child support, taxes, things like that, before we award them the money," Elkins said. "Once they receive the money, we have no say on how they invest it."

Betancourt stood before the federal judge Tuesday wearing blue jeans, a plaid shirt with a denim jacket and boots, as his attorneys asked for Recio to set a bond.

"He (Betancourt) has significant ties here," said Arturo Nelson, a Brownsville lawyer who represented him. "He has a common law wife and children, who he takes to school in the mornings."

Nelson told the judge Betancourt was worried his "children might be kidnapped because of the amount of money he received recently."

But Recio decided to hold Betancourt without bond on the grounds that he committed a "crime of violence," and was a flight risk due to his recent Lotto prize.

After the court appearance, Betancourt's lawyers declined to comment.

Oklahoma Native Claims Lotto Texas Prize

Dec 6, 2002

A lottery player with Oklahoma roots has won in Texas. David Kuehn, a 45-year-old native of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and resident of Whitney where he is a lineman for an electric highline contractor, won the Nov. 23, 2002 Lotto Texas $9 million jackpot. Kuehne collected $5,982,007, the Cash Value amount of the prize.

"I've been in Texas almost four years working as a lineman and foreman on a storm response team, and I don't believe I'm going to leave Texas," Kuehn said. "I'm tickled to death that I won. I'm hoping I mellow out soon, this is all so exciting."

Kuehn said he wanted to drive to Austin straightaway after he realized the Sunday after the drawing that he had won. He held back, though, and decided to consider how to claim his prize.

"I called my mother in Oklahoma to give her the news and she just about died," he said. "I knew I needed to look at all my options before I claimed my winnings. I came over here as soon as I could get an appointment."

Kuehn said he "had that feeling" that he'd won the Sunday after the drawing even before he and his wife, Teresa, went to the store for a print-out of the winning numbers.

"When I heard that the winner had been sold in Whitney, all of a sudden I knew I'd won," he said. "So I signed the ticket right away."

His wife checked the ticket against the print-out as they were driving away from the store.

"We turned right around and went back in to find out what to do next," he said. "The clerk started crying and reached over the counter to hug us. That's how the store found out they'd sold the winner. Once we got home, we put the ticket in the Bible on the coffee table. The next day, we put the Bible with the ticket in a safety deposit box in the bank."

The winner said he and his wife will soon visit Alaska on a cruise. The couple also plans to visit the Grand Canyon and the redwood forests in northern California.

Kuehn bought his five Quick Pick tickets while buying ice at the S&A Express, 1579 State Highway 22, in Whitney. The store is eligible to receive a bonus of one-percent of the advertised jackpot, which comes to $90,000.

The owner of S&A Express, Sharon Wood, is no stranger to the thrill of selling the big jackpot winner. In August of 2001, while she was a co-owner of Wood Kountry Grocery Inc., also in Whitney, a $9 million Lotto Texas jackpot winning-ticket was sold at the store. The winner was the Bird Nest Trust of Cleburne.

The newest Lotto Texas winner is the seventh native Oklahoman and the second in less than a month to win the Texas Lottery. Darrell Thompson of Ada, Oklahoma, won a $27 million Lotto prize when he bought a ticket in Sanger for the November 9, 2002 drawing.

The winning numbers were 01-17-38-41-47-48.

The Financial Aspect of Nov 23, 2002 Win Total Sales In Roll: $15,938,417 Players 55%; State 45%
Players share (55%)	$8,766,129		State's share (45%)	$7,172,288
6 of 6 winner won	$5,982,007		Retailers (5%)	$796,921
3, 4, 5, of 6 winners won	$2,575,493		TLC (7%)	$1,115,689
Total $$ Won by Players	$8,557,500		Schools (33%)	$5,259,678
Players Shorted	<$208,629>		Total	$7,172,288
Why weren't players paid their share of sales?