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Valley snatches up lottery tickets, but no winners

- The Fresno Bee

Thursday, Mar. 22, 2012 | 10:20 PM

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Mega Millions fever hit Fresno Tuesday as people flocked to local stores to take their shot at the $241 million prize, but no winners surfaced from that evening's lottery drawing.

"My head is spinning from how many tickets I sold today," said Bobby Singh, a clerk at Lucky Gas and Liquor on First Street and Gettysburg Avenue in Fresno who was working Tuesday evening. "We've already sold almost 600 in the five hours I've been here."

The store averages about 300 to 400 tickets a day, he said.

The numbers drawn Tuesday night were 1, 4, 6, 11, 14, and the Mega number was 30. No tickets had all the right numbers, according to the Mega Millions website, so the jackpot will carry over the next drawing Friday.

Candida Fierro bought 20 tickets at Lucky Gas and Liquor and was in a pool at work for more tickets for Tuesday's drawing.

"I don't usually buy tickets, but it's so big this week," Fierro said. A hospital receptionist, Fierro said a lucky ticket could let her fulfill her dream of going to college. "If I win I'll get my kids and myself a formal education."

Mega Millions is a multistate game played in California and 41 other states. The odds of getting all six numbers are around 1 in 176 million.

At Super Liquor #2 in Clovis, eight of every 10 people were buying Mega Millions lottery tickets Tuesday, said cashier Kevin Butler. Ticket sales at Super Liquor #2 have jumped since Joseph Perry got five of six numbers right when he bought his ticket there for the March 13 drawing. Perry won $235,402.

A commemorative plaque hangs in the store to celebrate Perry's big score. On Tuesday alone, Super Liquor #2 sold more than 1,300 tickets.

"Some people think that lightning will strike twice here," Butler said. "You never know what could happen."

Gilbert Guzman of Fresno bought several tickets from Super Liquor #2 Tuesday night.

"I heard this was a lucky spot," Guzman said. "I usually buy tickets every couple of weeks. I'll take my bottles and cans and recycle them and just buy some tickets."



The reporter can be reached at scosby@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6159.

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