Half a dozen people playing the lottery were forced to lie on the floor late Monday while two men held guns on them at the Lotto Supercenter on U.S. 21 in York County, South Carolina.
Sheriff's investigators said robbers wearing masks entered the store just before 10 p.m. and took money from three registers, as well as from every customer in the store.
Detectives are studying the surveillance video that shows the robbers running in and forcing everyone down.
Det. Tim Hager said because such stores deal mostly in cash it makes them targets.
"Anytime you deal in large amounts of cash money that's on your premises, you have the potential to be a victim of something like this," he said.
At this time deputies don't have a good description of the two suspects or their car.
It appears that a place like that dealing in so much cash is probably not where I want to buy my tickets. However, just because they do business that way does not entitle anyone to think it is okay to rob them. Based on what the detective said, these places obviously have a big target painted on them.
You would have to hit soon if you lost a lot of your lottery money to thieves. What a bummer!!
I went to the store I purchase at often once and I saw a man with a little bag stuffed with cash and playslips. He obviously played for a pool and came into the store at a busy time. He was so nervous and he brought attention to himself. He purchased over $1,000.00 in tickets on Lotto and had more to go. I left out of the store 'cause his body language was saying, "COME HERE GET ME< I GOT LOADS OF MONEY!
I'm sure that was not the case in this story, but it is not surprising that someone would be robbed at a store selliing lotto tickets.
Funny....that is where I buy my tickets occasionally when I feel "lucky"...it's literally 2 miles from my house. I was wondering when that place was going to get robbed...some real shady characters hang out there...
Quote: Originally posted by CA LotteryGuy on Dec 6, 2006
wpb...to those of us not from the area, what is a Lottery Super Store?
Does it sell lottery tickets only?
Open 24/7?
Can you buy ticets elsewhere or only at a Lottery Super Store?
CA Lottery Guy
They sell mainly lottery tickets. You can get a few incidentals, like sodas, there is a place in there that will short-order you something. Probably candy, and mainly, a pistol shoved in your grill.
cps10...thanks for the reply. I was wondering if the store was run by the state like an OTB location. Sounds more like it is a privatly run store that focuses on selling lottery tickets.
Quote: Originally posted by CA LotteryGuy on Dec 8, 2006
cps10...thanks for the reply. I was wondering if the store was run by the state like an OTB location. Sounds more like it is a privatly run store that focuses on selling lottery tickets.
Cops can't protect you when you go out to buy your tickets (and imply you should expect to be robbed now and then) but legislators don't want you to buy your tickets online, where you would be safe from armed thugs. Typical gov't "service".
It appears that a place like that dealing in so much cash is probably not where I want to buy my tickets. However, just because they do business that way does not entitle anyone to think it is okay to rob them. Based on what the detective said, these places obviously have a big target painted on them.
You would have to hit soon if you lost a lot of your lottery money to thieves. What a bummer!!
Floridian
The Lottery super store is in South Carolina not North Carolina. It is just over the North Carolina line. I use to buy my South Carolina ticket there.
wpb
just curious wpb, did it appear to be a safe environment to buy tickets? Any security precautions in place that you could see?
Floriaian
wpb...to those of us not from the area, what is a Lottery Super Store?
Does it sell lottery tickets only?
Open 24/7?
Can you buy ticets elsewhere or only at a Lottery Super Store?
I use to buy my South Carolina ticket there.
Me too. NC has it written in its lottery law that stores selling only lottery is prohibited.
I should have caught that -- my bad, sorry. I fixed the story.
Actually, the story says "Lotto Supercenter", not Lottery Super Store. The only Lottery Super Store I know of is here.
I went to the store I purchase at often once and I saw a man with a little bag stuffed with cash and playslips. He obviously played for a pool and came into the store at a busy time. He was so nervous and he brought attention to himself. He purchased over $1,000.00 in tickets on Lotto and had more to go. I left out of the store 'cause his body language was saying, "COME HERE GET ME< I GOT LOADS OF MONEY!
I'm sure that was not the case in this story, but it is not surprising that someone would be robbed at a store selliing lotto tickets.
where is the store and what time does he usually purchase tickets lollipop? just kidding
Funny....that is where I buy my tickets occasionally when I feel "lucky"...it's literally 2 miles from my house. I was wondering when that place was going to get robbed...some real shady characters hang out there...
CA Lottery Guy
They sell mainly lottery tickets. You can get a few incidentals, like sodas, there is a place in there that will short-order you something. Probably candy, and mainly, a pistol shoved in your grill.
It's not open 24/7 though.
cps10...thanks for the reply. I was wondering if the store was run by the state like an OTB location. Sounds more like it is a privatly run store that focuses on selling lottery tickets.
That's exactly what they do.
Cops can't protect you when you go out to buy your tickets (and imply you should expect to be robbed now and then) but legislators don't want you to buy your tickets online, where you would be safe from armed thugs. Typical gov't "service".