Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992 TAG: 9202200382
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHELLE RILEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
PLAYERS NOT FAZED BY BIG TICKET BUYS
Leslie Boston plunked down $8 on Lotto tickets Wednesday at Milan Bros. Cigar on Jefferson Street in Roanoke.He, like many who enjoy gambling on the twice-a-week game, wasn't particularly bothered by reports that an Australian group had spent $7.2 million on Saturday's game - almost assuring a win of the largest jackpot in the state's Lotto history.
The group wired the money to a bank in Hampton Roads last week to buy mass blocks of tickets for the $27 million jackpot, news reports said.
"Someone like me could get lucky, but they were trying to cinch it," said Boston, a retired worker for General Electric who spends about $5 a day on Lotto and the other lottery games.
Lottery officials said 96 percent of the number combinations were purchased, and one ticket had the winning numbers. No one has acknowledged having the winning ticket.
Mike White, a hotel worker in Myrtle Beach, S.C., said, "If somebody's got enough money to buy all of the combinations, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to. Everyone else still has a chance to win."
Toni Maxey, White's friend, said, "That's what we would do if we had enough money."
White, 29, and Maxey, 27, spend about $5 every week. When they're not in town, they send money to their friends to buy them.
However, store clerks at Milan Bros. said many Lotto customers were angry with the foreign group's ticket purchases.
"They don't think it's fair, especially about it coming out of the country, because if they won, the money wouldn't stay in Virginia," said Joe Milan.
Robert Milan said Lotto sales were down from last week because of the smaller jackpot - $1 million. But statewide, ticket sales for the $1 million prize have been a little ahead, which usually happens after a big win, said Paula Otto, Virginia Lottery spokeswoman.
Otto said most of the 400-plus calls into the Lottery Department this week have asked for some kind of limit to the number of tickets a person or group could buy. She considers this unscientific, however, because "people who are angrier tend to call."
Meanwhile, Del. George Grayson, D-Williamsburg, is drafting a bill that would force those buying more than $10,000 worth of tickets to disclose information about themselves. "I think people should be able to buy as many tickets as they want," he said. He plans to present his bill at a Lottery Board meeting Monday.
However, Otto said the board has regulatory powers, which means it doesn't have to go through the General Assembly to change lottery procedures.
But Boston doesn't think legislation would help. "The average person isn't going to put that much in; I guess if you have the money, you can do what you want," he said.
"But I don't think they care where the money comes from."