A thief apparently trying to game the system stole a lottery ticket dispenser from a convenience store in central Oak Cliff last month.

Dallas police are asking for the public's help in solving the Feb. 26 theft at the Rush 24/7 convenience store in the 2500 block of South Hampton Road.

Surveillance video shows a man running into the store about 7 a.m., grabbing a tower of tickets and running back out. He's wearing all black with the exception of gloves that are gray in appearance.

Dallas police describe the thief as a white or Hispanic man.

If he's keeping up with the lottery, the Powerball jackpot has ballooned to $550 million and a winning Mega Millions ticket comes in at $45 million, while Lotto Texas could net someone $11 million.

Stealing scratch-off tickets is a losing proposition, however, because each ticket bears a code and can't be cashed in if a retailer reports them stolen.

The thief could, however, turn a profit by selling the tickets. That's why the Texas Lottery Commission advises consumers to buy only from licensed sellers.