Record Powerball Jackpot Creating Boom For Bay Area Stores Selling Tickets
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Retailers across the country are cashing in on crowds of hopeful Powerball ticket buyers as the jackpot keeps growing to new records ahead of Wednesday's drawing.
Gene's Liquor and Sandwich shop is a popular lunch spot, but this line is for Powerball tickets...not the famous pastrami sub-
"If I sell lottery like this every day, I don't have to do anything else. I can just survive on lottery tickets. I don't have to do anything else," shop owner Hamik Minas said.
His store profits are booming, and Powerball isn't the only thing making the cash register ring. Saturday he says the line for the lottery wound its way through the store, and those folks got hungry.
"Some of them bought sandwiches, and it boosts our business, yes," Minas said.
For the first time, the Powerball jackpot is hitting $1.5 billion, and people who wouldn't normally buy tickets are making a point to do so. The incidental pack of gum here or bag of chips there adds up for store owners, and it can go the other way, too.
"I waited in line to buy my sandwich and thought you know what, I'm here, Might as well buy a Powerball ticket too," one shopper said.
It's such a money maker, Minas is considering staying open 24-hours to sell a winning ticket. And promises a week's worth of free sandwiches if he sells it. If not, when it comes to a bottom line and a full belly, he and customers will still win.
"The sandwich is excellent, so there's that. So, if you don't win Powerball, at least you won lunch," Minas said.