ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) - It was business as usual Monday at the Rite Aid in Encinitas where a lottery ticket worth more than a million dollars was sold over the weekend.
There was no sign of the lucky winner or winners, but people who work nearby couldn't help but hope the winning streak at the store on Manchester Avenue continues.
"I was just talking to my grandmother earlier today, texting her and she said that it's the highest lottery drawing. So we thought on our lunch break, 'why not come over here and spend $2?'," said Marlena Coveney.
Over the weekend, someone bought a ticket worth just over $1.1 million at the pharmacy on Manchester Avenue. The ticket matched five numbers but missed the Powerball. That means Monday's jackpot is worth a record $1.9 billion.
The manager at Village Wine and Spirits in Encinitas said the line was out the door when the store opened Monday morning.
"It's been crazy. We've dealt with this once or twice before when it's gotten up to the billions and we know what to expect. We come in with a good attitude and, hopefully, somebody wins," said manager Nathan Yousif.
Mike Maloney and a bunch of friends pitched in to buy 30 tickets.
"Some of my golfing buddies, we all kicked in $20 a piece and bought 30 tickets and hopefully, we'll buy a golf course one day," laughed Maloney.
But experts say most Americans aren't buying as many tickets as they did five or six years ago. They say no one is winning the massive Powerball because fewer people are playing.
Lottery officials say the odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball are one in just over 292 million.
