An anonymous Pasadena resident has turned a routine convenience store stop into a $1 million payday after hitting a top prize on a Texas Lottery Premier Play scratch-off. Lottery officials confirmed the win this week, and the decision to stay anonymous has only added to the buzz swirling around the neighborhood Motu Food Mart.
Official confirmation from the Texas Lottery
According to a Texas Lottery news release, a Pasadena resident claimed a top-prize winning ticket in the Premier Play scratch-ticket game. The release, dated July 8, 2026, notes that the claimant chose to remain anonymous.
Where the ticket was sold
The winning Premier Play ticket was purchased at Motu Food Mart on Space Center Boulevard in Pasadena, according to FOX 26 Houston. The outlet also reports that the retailer may be eligible for a $10,000 bonus through the Texas Lottery’s Retailer Bonus Program for selling the prize-winning ticket. Not a bad day at the register.
Motu’s local footprint
Motu Food Mart is part of a growing local brand whose owner has expanded into related concepts such as Motu’s Hangout, a sports-bar-style spot, according to a profile in the Houston Chronicle. That rising profile helps explain why a big-ticket sale at one of its locations draws quick attention in the neighborhood. Motu locations have been tied to other notable lottery sales in the past, which only fuels local chatter whenever a top prize hits.
About the game and the odds
As the Texas Lottery notes, this was the fifth of 10 top $1 million prizes to be claimed in the Premier Play game. The release states that Premier Play offers more than $137.5 million in total prizes and that the overall odds of winning any prize in the game are about 1 in 3.55.
The claimant’s identity will remain private unless they decide otherwise, and the retailer’s possible bonus will be processed once Lottery procedures are completed. In the meantime, Pasadena shoppers and Motu regulars have a new winning story to trade along Space Center Boulevard.
