GASTONIA, N.C. — Just as the Powerball jackpot jumped to $825 million Friday, many people are flocking to a gas station in Gastonia to buy lottery tickets.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned the store is known for producing winners.
In September, a man who won $50,000 there in 2021 won $2 million with a scratch-off ticket from the same store. Another person also bought a $2 million ticket at the gas station last week.
A lottery official told me there is no such thing as a lucky store, but people aren’t buying that. Many are buying a chance at millions, and they are convinced the best chance is at Times Turnaround on South New Hope Road.
“That’s going to be the winner here, and a lot of confident players,” said customer Scott Conner. “This is the lucky store right now. They are hot.”
There are 7,000 stores selling scratch-off tickets statewide. The Gastonia store sold two $2 million lottery tickets in less than two months.
Lottery officials said that’s rare.
“This is where they are giving the money out at. I heard about it. You ain’t heard about it?” said customer Milton McCaskill.
McCaskill thinks the store is a good bet, especially with the Powerball up to $825 million. The odds of winning are one in every 292 million.
People are far more likely to get struck by lightning, attacked by a shark or play in the NBA, but many customers feel like the odds are in their favor -- especially If Quinten Gilmore draws the ticket.
Gilmore is the clerk that pulled the $2 million winning ticket last week for Joshua King.
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Some people are just learning about the store and Gilmore, but lottery officials said people should forget what they hear.
“There is no such thing as a lucky store. Luck can happen anytime, anywhere for anybody,” said Van Denton with the North Carolina Lottery.
Denton said the process is completely random for all stores and that there are no guarantees.
“I would hate for them to drive right past some really good prizes on the way to that store,” Denton said.
The odds are a little better at winning $2 million with a scratch-off ticket. The odds are one in every one-and-a-half million.
(WATCH BELOW: North Carolina man who won $10M lottery prize sentenced to life in prison)
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