Powerball jackpot lures lottery players
Friday, July 28, 2006 posted 11:14 AM EDT
Janel McDaniel buys one lottery ticket a week.
It’s the Jacksonville resident’s shot at tempting fate. The numbers on the quick-pick Powerball ticket she bought at the Wilco convenience store on Western Boulevard Tuesday felt really good to her.
“Those are some good numbers,” she said with a lilt in her voice. “I don’t believe in luck but these are just good-looking numbers.”
If they are winning numbers, McDaniel will be $135 million richer. It’s the biggest Powerball jackpot since the North Carolina Education Lottery started in May. Of course, no matter how good the numbers look to McDaniel, there’s still just a one in 146 million chance that anyone will actually pick all five numbers plus the powerball.
But those odds haven’t kept people from playing, and the potential to win such a big jackpot in tonight’s drawing has urged many more to play.
The lottery ticket business was already booming at the Wilco, especially on Wednesday and Saturday — Powerball drawing days. This week, sales are even better.
“On the day of the drawing, our sales usually jump about 30 percent,” said Matt Hillis, the store’s manager. “It’s going to jump more this week because of the jackpot.”
The jackpot amount hangs above the cash registers at the Wilco store on Western, and it always draws someone in.
“It’s one of those where they look up and see the sign and say, ‘Oh shoot, I didn’t get my ticket,’” said Michele Solomon, one of the store clerks. “People start taking chances the higher it gets. They think, ‘My five bucks might actually do something.’”
The big jackpot lured Maurice Gray of Jacksonville into the store. He was one of the few who showed up with his own numbers, written on a scrap piece of paper. Most let the computer pick for them.
Gray filled in the bubbles himself. He spent some time picking his numbers.
“I look at previously selected numbers,” he said. “Some come up more frequently.”
If he should win, Gray already has plans for the millions.
“I’ll invest it,” he said.
Angelina Ramirez and Christina Lloyd, both housekeepers at the Holiday Inn Express in Jacksonville, also know how they’d spend some of their winnings.
Paying off bills, taking a trip and buying a house were definites. But quitting their jobs was top on the list.
They’re not alone.
Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael Ferrando has spent 28 years in the Marine Corps. If Wednesday turns out to be his lucky night, he’ll head into retirement, he said.
The jackpot is enticing, but it’s not the only reason Ferrando decided to play. The Lyndhurst, Ohio, native has waited a long time for North Carolina to get its own lottery.
“Finally it’s here,” he said. “I figured I’d better donate to the cause.”
But he let the computer do his picking for him.
“From what I heard, the computer’s numbers are as good as yours,” he said. “I haven’t had any visions lately; but if I do, I plan to play it.”
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