Lottery players hope for Mega luck
With the Mega Millions jackpot reaching over $1 billion Friday and the Powerball jackpot for Saturday approaching about half that figure, many in Washington County were hoping for a lucky weekend.
Convenience stores across the county were busy selling the lottery tickets for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing.
“It’s been a good week,” said Gwen Gongaware, a clerk at Isaly’s on Jefferson Avenue in Canton Township. “There’s three of us working, and we still can’t keep up. It’s been a lot of our regular customers, but they’re playing a lot more.”
Gongaware said they also have people coming in who have never played before but are testing their luck.
“We hear that ‘Can you help me?'” she said. “And they’ll bring the tickets back and have no clue if they won or not.”
The store had lines to buy tickets all day Friday, and Gongaware said they’ve had customers from West Virginia and Ohio come in who are buying tickets in multiple states.
“At least nine out of 10 promise you something if they win,” she said. “How many have promised us the moon?”
Gongaware said she expects to remain busy through Saturday, because of that night’s Powerball drawing. The Powerball jackpot was up to $470 million as of Friday afternoon.
Mark Italiya, the owner of the Sunoco gas station on Jefferson Avenue in Washington, said Friday that he had extra employees working to handle the rush for lottery tickets.
“We are asking customers if they want to play,” he said. “People who don’t typically play are buying at least one ticket.”
A manager at Ruff Creek Markets at 100 Murtland Avenue said the store has been very busy since last Saturday, when the lottery sales started climbing.
“I’ve had to change the ticket paper a few times so far this morning,” said Marlene, the manager, who declined to give her surname. “People are coming in with large bills. They’re all looking for the dream.”
She said the boost in ticket sales has generated lots of business for small stores in the area.
“Hopefully, it helps the local economy, too,” she said.