Two Houston-area residents are now millionaires thanks to separate Texas Lottery scratch-off games, according to recent state lottery notices. One winner lives in Kingwood, the other in the Hempstead area, and both chose to keep their identities under wraps after claiming their $1 million top prizes.
In separate news releases via the Texas Lottery and the Texas Lottery, the agency said a Kingwood resident claimed a $1 million top prize on the Mega Millionaire scratch-off, while a Hempstead-area resident did the same on the $1,000,000 Riches game. The releases note that both players "elected to remain anonymous" and list the stores where the winning tickets were sold. Each retailer may qualify for a $10,000 bonus through the lottery’s Retailer Bonus Program if all conditions are met.
Local station KHOU highlighted the wins on March 14, relaying the lottery’s details about the scratch-off games, the anonymous claimants and the specific neighborhoods where the tickets were bought, putting Kingwood, Prairie View and Hempstead convenience stores in the local spotlight.
Where the Lucky Tickets Were Sold
Both winning tickets came from neighborhood convenience stores, not big-box chains. The Kingwood winner bought their top-prize Mega Millionaire ticket at Kingwood Mart, 4003 Rustic Woods Drive (Suite C) in Kingwood. The $1,000,000 Riches ticket that paid out for the Hempstead-area player was sold at Fuel Maxx #60, 45620 Highway 290 Bus., in Prairie View. The official state releases identify these precise locations and clarify that the stores are in line for the potential retailer bonus if program rules are satisfied.
Long Odds, Local Buzz
Scratch-off games hand out plenty of smaller prizes, so the overall odds of winning something are relatively favorable, but million-dollar top prizes remain rare. A Houston Chronicle analysis found that only a limited number of Houston-area retailers have sold tickets worth $1 million or more over the past two decades. That scarcity helps explain why a week with multiple seven-figure wins in the region still turns heads, and why the stores that sell them often see a noticeable bump in foot traffic from curious and hopeful customers.
Players who think they might be holding a large-winning ticket are urged to follow official Texas Lottery claim procedures and to consult the agency’s website or a Lottery Claim Center for instructions. For everyone else, these new millionaires are a reminder that scratch-off tickets can still deliver some very local, very big surprises.
