(AUSTIN) – On Saturday, San Juanita Berrones of Bay City enjoyed a weekend custom with her husband. He bought scratch-off tickets for each of them at the Bay City Exxon located at 1400 7th St. in Bay City. Then they took turns scratching to see who would win the biggest prize.
Because Berrones enjoys crosswords, her husband often gets a Bonus Cashword ticket for her. This time, her preference for word games really paid off, although she didn’t realize what she’d won, at first.
“My husband will do his ticket first and then go outside while I do mine,” explained Berrones. “He asked me how much I’d won, and I told him $5,000. We didn’t realize that we had all ten words until we tried to claim it at the store.”
Berrones’ 10 words won her $35,000, one of 47 top prizes offered in the crossword-themed instant ticket game.
“We’re so excited we haven’t been able to sleep,” she said. “We still can’t believe it. I’m shaking right now.”
Despite the excitement, Berrones began making plans for the money. She hopes to visit her only son, who is currently serving in the Army. She also has three daughters.
“Many of our players mention visiting family on their list of things to do after winning,” said Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Anthony J. Sadberry. “That is certainly a worthwhile use of the money, and we wish Mrs. Berrones and her family a safe trip.”
Winning the top prize has increased the fun of playing Bonus Cashword for Berrones and her husband. She says that they’ve played the game for years and will continue to play, hoping to win again.
Tonight’s Lotto Texas® jackpot is worth an estimated $10 million. Friday’s Mega Millions® jackpot is worth an estimated $83 million.