Store Owners Benefit From Big Powerball Wins

Posted on December 6th, 2012

The recent record Powerball drawing produced two winners that will split a record $588 million jackpot. In addition to the top winners there are other people involved that will benefit. The managers of a Missouri gas station and an Arizona food store say they are pleased that they may have handed the winning Powerball tickets to the lucky winners. Kristi Williams, a clerk at the Trex Mart convenience store in Dearborn Missouri, said she and a coworker high fived each other when they learned that one of the winning tickets had been sold in their store. Store manager Chris Nauerz, was working when the winning ticket was sold and said the news was “shocking”

Until the Missouri winners came forward patrons at the store expressed hopes that the winning ticket had been sold to a local. Store manager Chris Nauerz, told reporters that truck drivers driving on the north south interstate that runs from Kansas City to the Canadian border also purchase tickets. Store manager Chris Naurez said business had been “crazy” and the store had sold $27,000 worth of tickets in just a few days. The manager of Trex Mart said that his employees would share the $50,000 the store will receive for selling one of the winning Powerball tickets. The owner of the store stated “I guess we’ll be able to give out Christmas bonuses.”

May Scheve Reardon, executive director of the Missouri Lottery had some advice for winners and stated “If you find you’re holding the winning ticket, be sure you sign the back and put it in a safe place until you can take it to a Missouri Lottery office. You will also want to get some legal and financial advice before you claim.” At the height of the Powerball buying frenzy tickets were selling at the rate of 130,000 a minute nationwide. The huge jackpot at stake enticed many people that do not often play lottery games. The Powerball jackpot had rolled over 16 times and produced the second largest jackpot in US history.

In addition to the top jackpot winners Powerball officials said that eight people won $2 million prizes and 58 other ticketholders won $1 million. For extra dollar players can double the size of non-jackpot wins. Powerball tickets sell for $2 each. Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands. Currently there are five states that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous; Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and Ohio.