The winning ticket was purchased by David C. Fort, who frequently purchases Hot Lotto tickets at the Chevron Redi-Mart at 1723 Lomas NE in Albuquerque. Fort, whose ticket had the winning numbers of 5, 11, 14, 17, 20 and the Hot Ball of 2, beat the game’s odds of one in nearly 11 million to win the game’s top prize.

After claiming his $5.6 million Hot Lotto jackpot on Feb. 11, the Albuquerque resident announced how he would spend his prize. First, the newly minted millionaire planned to buy a Hot Lotto ticket for the next drawing, followed next by quitting his job with a local car dealership, purchasing homes for his mother and mother in law, and taking his family on a cruise to Alaska.

In a ceremony at the store, Lottery CEO Tom Romero presented Ron Sims, general manager of Ever-Ready Oil Company’s retail division, with a Lucky Landmark plaque. The retail chain also received a $10,000 bonus for selling the prize-winning ticket.

“Chevron Redi-Mart has brought good fortune to a regular lottery customer as well as to many students attending college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships,” Romero said, adding that the store is a close neighbor of the University of New Mexico, where more than 19,000 students have attended college on $109 million in lottery-funded scholarships.

“New Mexico Lottery games are fun to play and they help make New Mexico a better place to live by putting a college education within reach of so many young people,” Sims said. “Chevron Redi-Mart is very proud to be part of that winning experience for players, students and their families.”

Hot Lotto, nicknamed “Little Powerball,” is a multi-state lotto-style game played in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Hot Lotto jackpots begin at $1 million and increase by a minimum of $50,000 per drawing until someone wins. Drawings are held on Saturday and Wednesday evenings.

$340 Million Raised for Education

Since its inception in 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $340 million for public education and more than 48,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.

Information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com