JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For lottery hopefuls in Jacksonville, Monday night could be life-changing. The Powerball jackpot has soared to $1.1 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in recent drawings, and locals are flocking to a store they believe might hold the next big winner.
The Welcome Food Store in Mandarin, affectionately known as the “Lucky Store,” has built a reputation for producing multiple winning tickets over the years. The walls of the store boast its track record, drawing in hopefuls from across the region.
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“Since 4:30 this morning, when we opened, everybody’s been playing. You know we’re the luckiest store in Jacksonville, so hopefully get a winner out of here,” said cashier Jessica Newman.
She detailed some of the store’s recent successes: “We just had a $5,000 winner on the 19th. We had a $10,000 winner… $20,000 twice last month. So they come out of here a lot.” Newman added that customers come from near and far, traveling from both up north and down south just for a chance at luck.
Regular Robert Tracy said he keeps coming back, hoping for a breakthrough. “First of all, I’d give my new car away. Buy my daughters a new house. And then go blow the rest. Gamble, gamble, gamble,” he said, laughing.
Other hopefuls, like Albert Guerrero, are already dreaming big. “I mean, they’re going to tax it, obviously. So definitely set up a trust fund for my children and help my family out by paying off all their debts… immediate family and stuff like that,” he said.
Monday night’s $1.1 billion prize offers a lump sum of more than $285 million or an annuity totaling more than $631 million.
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