The snow and ice across north Texas is slowly melting away. It must be because Powerball players in Texas really turned up the heat Saturday night. The Texas Lottery confirmed to us there were multiple big wins on Texas tickets for Saturday's drawing.

Texas Lottery, Facebook
Texas Lottery, Facebook
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The Powerball jackpot across Texas and the nation was announced as $268.3 million prior to Saturday's game.  And, if someone matched the winning numbers in Texas they might be able to afford their powerbill after this week's cold snap and snow event. I know I am not looking forward to seeing how much it costs to keep my family warm.

Man wearing hood warming his hands, outdoor horizontal shot
Credit: victorass88
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Oddly enough when you ask people in Terrel, Lake Dallas, Beaumont, Orange, Vidor, or Winnie what they would do if they won the lottery almost everyone says pay off my house, car, land, student loans, and you get the idea. Luxury vacations, swimming pools, camping, and Taylor Swift concert tickets are usually an afterthought.

Jesse Collins via Unsplash.com
Jesse Collins via Unsplash.com
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Do you know the biggest mistake lottery winners make once they hit it big? They buy stuff. Fellow Lotologists and I have studied why people go broke after winning so much money. Buying unnecessary things is the main reason.

If you ever win the lottery, promise me you won't buy an airplane, you'll rent one when you need it. Or you won't buy a vacation home, you'll rent it.  You won't hire Talyor Swift to play your child's birthday party, you'll take your child to a Taylor Swift show that only costs you the price of the ticket. That's how you keep your money. Don't buy stuff, rent stuff until you find out exactly what you want.

Powerball39 via YouTube
Powerball39 via YouTube
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Alright, now that we have put the cart way ahead of the horse, let's get to the business of Saturday's Powerball drawing and big wins in the Great State of Texas. Let's start with the drawing.

There was no jackpot winner sold across the Powerball footprint last night. The largest prize generated by the Powerball game was a Match 5 Million winner. A ticket sold in New Jersey matched the five white balls but missed on the Powerball. It's hard to believe someone could be upset winning a million dollars but if that was me, I'd be a little salty.

Based on a quick scan of the data provided by our sources at the Texas Lottery it looks as if almost 48,000 tickets sold for last night's game in the Lone Star State returned money to their investors. Forty-seven tickets were $300 winners and another 106 Texas-sold Powerball tickets earned a prize of $100.

Texas Lottery Logo
Texas Lottery via YouTube
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We have been made aware there are four  $50,000 Powerball winners sold in Texas.  Our sources at the Texas Lottery confirmed that all four tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball. None of the four winners invoked that Power Play. Had that happened the prize would rise to $150,000 for the same number-match scenario.

Here are the numbers from Saturday, January 11, 2025:

03   06   32   37   65   Powerball 04   Power Play x3

If you're holding any ticket that appears to be a winner you'll need to verify your ticket by visiting the Official Texas Lottery website. You can also visit the Official Powerball website. On those sites, you can enter your ticket information and it will verify your winnings and offer information on how to claim your prize.

Texas Lottery via YouTube
Texas Lottery via YouTube
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The other Saturday night drawing that we keep a close eye on for you is the Lotto Texas with Extra! game. That game drew for more than $66 million last night. And just like every drawing since late June of last year, there was no jackpot winner.

The Lotto Texas drawing did produce some nice wins for players who played though. Nineteen tickets earned a prize of $1,941 last night. Those who matched the same number scenario but put an extra dollar down to play the "extra" part of the game earned $11,941. There were nine Texas-sold Lotto Texas with Extra! tickets that did that.

MegaMillions via YouTube
MegaMillions via YouTube
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The Mega Millions game will hold its next drawing on Tuesday night. Texas players have always done well with Mega Millions. Did you know that the Texas Lottery started offering players a chance to win at Mega Millions back in 2005? We didn't get Powerball in Texas until 2010. And ever since then dreams of untold wealth and fortune have been a part of the Texas landscape every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night.

Reynier Carl via Unsplash.com
Reynier Carl via Unsplash.com
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Yes, it's fun to dream about big lottery wins but the reality is less about big dreams and more about losing a few bucks. Most lottery purchases are not winners. If you do play a lottery game plan on losing your money.

If your desire to play supersedes your ability to self-police then you need help. Call 1-800-GAMBLER There's nothing to be ashamed of. The call is free and your guidance to counseling and resources is also free. And the rewards you'll receive from having your life back are far more valuable than what the lottery can provide. Play responsibly. Good Luck.

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Gallery Credit: Meg Dowdy

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