California Lottery: California has 'lottery fever'
Jackpot Valued At $95 Million
Lottery fever continues to burn unabated throughout California because no one claimed Wednesday's $77 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot.
The jackpot for Saturday is currently valued at $95 million, and is the sdventh largest in the state's history, according to lottery spokeswoman Norma Minas.
Lottery officials expect the jackpot to continue to grow before Saturday, but at the current figure, state schools stand to gain at least $58 million.
Despite the fact that the odds of winning, according to lottery officials, are only one in 41 million, state residents are still shelling out cash in hopes of winning big.
This is especially the case at Kavanagh's Liquors in San Lorenzo, also known as the "luckiest retailer in Northern California" for having sold four winning lottery tickets and a fifth winning ticket that went unclaimed in 2003.
Frank Jordan, a 25-year-old cashier at Kavanagh's, said that Super Lotto ticket sales were going strong Thursday, but "not quite as much as (Wednesday)."
About 10 people were in two separate lines waiting to pick up tickets around 2 p.m. Thursday, but Jordan said he expects business to increase dramatically throughout the week, and possibly even triple.
The largest jackpot is state history was $193 million on Feb. 16, 2002. That win was split by three tickets purchased in Half Moon Bay, Montebello and Orange.
On June 23, 2001, Alcario Castellano, of San Jose, became the largest individual prizewinner in state lottery history by winning the second-largest jackpot of $141 million, according to lottery officials.
Tickets are being sold at about 18,000 businesses across the state.
Saturday's drawing will take place at 7:58 p.m., and players have until 7:45 p.m. to buy into the game.