Mega Millions / Powerball: Lottery fever hits Tennessee & Georgia: both states have jackpots over $200 million
Lottery Fever hits folks in Tennessee and Georgia as both states celebrate jackpots over $200 Million.
The Tennessee Lottery Powerball is up to $250 Million and the Georgia Lottery Mega Millions hits $207 Million.
While the odds of hitting that jackpots are slim... As they say...it only takes a dollar to win....
Atul Patel calls to a customer who just bought a lottery ticket, "Thank you ma'am. Good Luck."
Patel says lottery ticket sales at Harry's Citgo on Hixson Pike have been steady all day long, "Normal day, I mean hundred, hundred fifty dollars. I mean, right now almost four to five hundred."
Patel says regular folks are dropping 20 to 30 dollars on $1 Powerball tickets and it's easy to see why... There's a lot you can do with 250 Million dollars.
Edward McAfee of Chattanooga says of the possible jackpot on his Powerball ticket, "First I would pay my tithes at church. Then I would probably get me an RV and travel as much as I can."
Down in Georgia the $207 Million Mega Millions jackpot has folks snatching up the tickets too.
Cheryl Garner says of her Mega Millions customers at Mega Star Food Mart, "Everybody wants that once in a life time win so they can change their lives and their family's lives and things like that."
Garner says when the jackpot gets this high practically every customer buys a ticket,"Your regular customers will cut up, carry on, tell you all the things that they're gonna do. Tell you, oh they're gonna buy you everything. And so it's fun. You get to have fun with the customers."
Back at Harry's Citgo it's all fun and games as the lotto tickets flow...
Once customer says as he walks out the door with his Powerball ticket, "If I hit a million dollars, I'd leave Chattanooga." Reporter Reneé LaSalle asks, "What about that $250 Million, though?" Photographer David Moore adds, "You'd leave Tennessee?" The customer laughs as he responds, "I'd be in Alaska."
But Atul Patel admits...he's not letting his customers have all the fun.
$250 Million is enough incentive he's buying himself a ticket...and one for his son, "I'm retired from work, retired..." LaSalle says of Patel's son, "His education's paid for..." Patel nods, "Oh yeah, I pay for everything." Moore agrees, "Family..." Patel smiles and laughs as he says, "Oh yeah, I got a big family, man."
Tennessee's $250 Million Powerball drawing is Wednesday night at 10:59pm.
Georgia's $207 Million Mega Millions ticket will be drawn Friday.