California Lottery: One lottery ticket wins $110 million Calif. SuperLotto jackpotYou could be $110 million richer today.
That is, if you are the one lucky lottery player who bought a Super Lotto Plus ticket with the numbers 2, 9, 12, 20, 34 and Mega number 16. The odds are one in 41.4 million, but someone has done it.
Wednesday's jackpot was the best payout in four years and the sixth largest prize in Super Lotto history.
The ticket was sold at the Foremost Liquor Market at 301 Monterey Road, South Pasadena.
The California Lottery is expected to make a formal announcement later today.
Weekly and first-time players scrambled to lottery retailers Wednesday afternoon driving the jackpot up $4 million from $106 million. The prize had rolled over 23 times, a state record, since the last winning ticket worth $52 million was purchased at an Emeryville market on April 12.
Using birthdays, anniversaries and even that reoccurring string of numerals from ABC's "Lost," Lotto players were hoping their favorite digits would help them become a millionaire more than 100 times over.
Business at Cork 'N Bottle Liquors in Concord had increased ever since the jackpot got over $90 million, said manager Ali Ladi. The Treat Boulevard convenience store had a handful of jackpot hopefuls before 10 a.m. Wednesday, but Ladi said business would pick up more as the drawing got closer.
John Pericich, a painting contractor who often plays the lottery, stopped by the store between jobs to pick up $10 in tickets. He had not decided what to do if he won.
"Ha. I'd take six months off to think about it," he said. "There's got to be a cooling off period."
To celebrate, the winner could buy 212 million Oscar Mayer hot dogs, 42 million pounds of ground beef or 21 million watermelons for a barbecue, according to a California Lottery news release.
The largest Super Lotto Plus jackpot of $193 million was split by three winning ticket holders on Feb. 16, 2002, said Rob McAndrews, California Lottery spokesman. The largest single prize winner is Alcario Castellano, of San Jose, who won $141 million in June 2001, the release said.
Ladi has not sold any winning Super Lotto tickets, he said the store had been lucky in the past. A customer won $4 million under the previous owner, he said.
Lilian Marie hoped the store would be lucky again. She does not normally buy lottery tickets, but she couldn't resist playing with such a large jackpot.
"If I won, I'd go on a permanent vacation."
