SAN ANTONIO – Some San Antonians who are trying their luck in this Saturday’s Powerball drawing are getting a boost in confidence from the good fortune of others.
Two people locally have each won a $1 million prize within the last month in various lottery games.
Someone who purchased a scratch-off ticket Thursday at Mariposa Groceries on the city’s Northwest Side walked away with $1 million. In mid-August, a person who bought a Powerball ticket at H-E-B near Bulverde Road and Loop 1604 also claimed a $1 million prize.
Now, with a top Powerball prize of $1.8 billion and counting at stake Saturday night, some are hoping Lady Luck will visit the city again.
“I think it’s time. We’re ready,” said Kimberly Suta, just after she purchased a spur-of-the-moment ticket Friday morning. “I think the most I’ve ever won on anything lottery-related was $500, but you never know.”
Suta said she usually buys lottery tickets only when there is a sizable jackpot. The prize up for grabs Saturday night has her and lots of other people dreaming big.
“So many things,” Suta said. “I’d probably go on a lot of trips. Bahamas here I come!”
Eddie Chavez, who was visiting from El Paso, said he would use his winnings to stay closer to home.
“I want to win to maybe pay off my mortgage,” he said.
Both Chavez and Suta seemed to be a bit ahead of the game when it came to buying tickets.
Sameer Nathani said, as of Friday morning, he had not yet seen a big rush for Powerball tickets. However, he said, come Saturday night, things will change.
“Nine o’clock is the cutoff, so it’s usually right before nine when everybody comes in,” he said.
Nathani was basing his predictions on what happened ahead of Wednesday’s Powerball drawing.
No one won the top prize in that game, and it has been months since anyone did. That is the reason the jackpot has swelled to such a large amount, one of the largest in lottery history.
Nathani said whenever there is a prize of this amount, it adds up to a huge increase in ticket sales.
“I’d say about a 200% increase. Yeah, it’s a lot more than usual,” he said.
While the prize is larger, Nathani says he doesn’t believe the chances of winning increase at all.
Instead, he said it simply takes a lot of luck.
“Just keep your fingers crossed,” he said.
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