Giving in to Lotto fever

Christine Carrillo

Tony Duvall has developed a ticket printing rhythm.

Having printed one Lotto ticket after another over the past few weeks,

he’s had to.

A three-year employee at the Bay Crest Spirits & Wine Shop in Costa

Mesa, Duvall has witnessed firsthand the Lotto fever that has struck

California.

Passerbys, too, have watched the seemingly infinite line of people

seeking tonight’s $175-million SuperLotto Plus jackpot from the store

with the winning record.

“I’m hoping [the store’s] luck will shine on me,” said Susan James, a

sporadic lottery player.

With the large banner listing the store’s prior successes posted

outside helping to fuel the fire, customers have flocked to the store

simply looking to enhance their chances of winning.

“We figure three’s a charm,” said Rebecca Randle, who is in her third

pool at work. “We decided to come here, to the store that wins.”

The store, which managed to sell an average of 5,000 tickets per hour

Friday afternoon, has experienced a constant rush of people since the

jackpot got close to the $100-million range, said Bryan Nye, the

27-year-old owner of the Bay Crest store.

And that lofty range seems to bring in people who don’t usually play.

“The odds are outrageous but you don’t have a chance if you don’t buy

a ticket,” said Ed Balogh, who dreams of using his winnings to travel. “I

only buy tickets when [the jackpot] is up to $70 or $80 million, even

though your chances are better when it’s lower.”

Aware that the odds are stacked against them, people have continued to

pour into stores throughout Newport-Mesa in search of a winning ticket.

Newcomers to the lottery world and company pools almost all have been

buying in bulk to heighten their chances.

Those individuals who frequently participate in the lottery feel their

loyalty is lost in the crowd.

“I think with anything over $150 million there should be a shut off

just for the people that buy tickets all the time,” said Brian Como, an

avid Lotto participant who has attempted to heighten his chances by

purchasing tickets from three different stores. “All you need is one and

if you’re lucky, you’re lucky.”

No matter what the reason for the purchase, one common trait to

everyone longing to win is relishing what they would do with the prize.

“I want to win so that I can buy a house on Lake Como in Italy and

live next to Versace,” Como said.

* Christine Carrillo is a Daily Pilot intern. She may be reached at

(949) 574-42229.