HESPERIA – A local grocery store proudly displayed a “Millionaire Made Here” sign and decorated with blue and gold balloons after learning it sold a winning $72 million lottery ticket that was drawn Wednesday night. The SuperLotto Plus drawing revealed 9, 13, 27, 29, 33 and mega number 10 as the winning combination to claim the $72 million jackpot, with the lone winning ticket being sold at Cardenas Market in Hesperia, 15555 Main St.
Manager Josue Tellez said his store received a call from lottery officials Wednesday night informing them that they sold the winning lottery ticket. Tellez told the Daily Press he believes this is the first time a lottery ticket sold at Cardenas has resulted in a large prize for a customer. California Lottery District Sales Supervisor Paul Nares and his crew stopped by the grocery store Thursday morning to provide the “Millionaire Made Here” sign, shirts and a facsimile check reading $72 million.
Nares said the Cardenas chain appears to be on a “hot streak” because he recently visited another location where a customer won $1 million on a lottery scratcher. “This particular market chain is doing really hot and they are going to get a bonus for this ticket, which is half of one percent.
I was talking to Sacramento this morning and it’s approximately $365,000,” Nares said. “Generally when a store sells this kind of a winning ticket, the store is considered to be lucky so what is going to happen is their sales will multiply and grow dramatically. We have some extremely good stores up here and quite a few lucky retailers. The High Desert has its share of big winners.” Most recently, a Victorville woman won $750,000 on a lottery scratcher purchased at a local gas station in October.
Nares said large jackpot winners have a year to claim their prize, while lower jackpot winners have six months. All other winners have 180 days from the date of the draw to claim the prize. Lottery officials urge Wednesday night’s winner to “immediately sign the back of their ticket in ink and keep it in a safe place until they can get to one of the nine California Lottery district office locations.” “Generally you will see people come forward pretty quick,” Nares said.
“They don’t want to wait too long. I predict they will come forward as early as today or tomorrow.” Three other winning tickets with five correct numbers were sold for Wednesday’s drawing, including one in Rancho Cucamonga, according to the Lottery’s website. Nares said he was at the My Good’s Market in Rancho Cucamonga last week and remembers his conversation with the owner. “He’s not a high volume store and says to me that he needs a winner to purchase a ticket in his store,” Nares said.
“It’s amazing because some few days later he now has a 5-of-5 winner. There were two other 5-of-5 winners so that will get split in three.” There is no secret or advice Nares can give those playing the lottery. “It’s all luck,” he said. “Nobody knows the numbers, these are random picks. If your numbers come up, then they come up. There isn’t much more to it.” To play SupperLotto Plus, you select five numbers from 1 to 47 and a mega number for 1 to 27. Lottery officials say players have a 1-in-42 million chance to match all six numbers.
SuperLotto Plus draws every Wednesday and Saturday.
Article from: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170126/hesperia-grocery-store-sells-winning-72-million-superlotto-plus-jackpot-ticket