Lottery jackpots rise as winning ticket sold at Prospect store

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Alias Lala, a clerk at Prospect Smoke Shop in Prospect, sells Mega Millions tickets to customer Tom Gaimattei of Prospect at the shop on Monday. Tuesday’s drawing will offer a jackpot of at least $1.6 billion. -JIM SHANNON/REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

PROSPECT — A $1 million Powerball ticket was sold at the Prospect Smoke Shop on Waterbury Road in Prospect, and people continue to line up at stores across the state for their chance to win the record-breaking lottery jackpot.

“I wish them luck and hope it’s a Prospect resident,” Prospect Mayor Robert Chatfield said about the person bought the $1 million Powerball ticket.

The winner for the Powerball drawing Saturday had not come forward as of Monday to claim the money. The winning numbers were 16, 54, 57, 62, 69, with a Powerball of 23, and a PowerPlay of 2.

On Monday, the Mega Millions jackpot rose to an unprecedented $1.6 billion, the Powerball increased to $620 million and the Connecticut Lotto rose to more than $6.9 million.

According to the CT Lottery website, on Friday a Southbury woman claimed $10,000 in Mega Millions and a Riverside man claimed $50,000 in Powerball prizes.

Powerball is drawn on Wednesday and Saturday. The jackpot starts at $40 million and increases by $10 million between each drawing until they are won. Tickets cost $2 per wager with an additional dollar for the PowerPlay feature.

Shabana Kouser, owner of the Prospect Smoke Shop, said since word of the lucky ticket got out, “it’s been getting busier than we all thought. It will get even busier tomorrow before the drawing.”

She is excited because by rules of the lottery, the establishment at which a winning ticket is sold receives .01 percent of the winnings. In Kouser’s case it’s $10,000.

“It’s a big relief for our store, I’ll pay a lot of my bills,” she said.

Store worker Saifullah AliasLala said well over 100 people have bought tickets.

In Waterbury, Gulf gas station clerk Tuan Ahamath said there has been an “uncountable” amount of customers buying tickets. He said some customers have bought more than $100 worth of lottery tickets.

Maria Altieri of Waterbury said she’s bought $30 worth — or 15 tickets.

“I don’t normally buy this many tickets but I bought this many because (the jackpot) is so high,” Altieri said.

Tom Giamattei of Prospect bought $20 worth of Powerball and Mega Million tickets and said he would pay off his bills and take his entire family on a vacation if he wins the jackpot.

Emil Renzullo of Torrington only plays the lotto when there are big jackpots, and that opportunity came Monday when he purchased two Mega Millions tickets.

Renzullo has two plans when he wins: take care of his family and then help local kids.

“It’s a dream and all we have our dreams,” Renzullo said.

The Mega Millions drawing is tonight and Powerball on Wednesday.

Bruno Matarazzo Jr. contributed to this report.