Georgians cross border for Powerball tickets

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Posted 8:14AM on Saturday, December 21, 2002

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Potential Powerball millionaires stood 20 deep at lottery ticket counters along the North Carolina-South Carolina border Friday. They had their money at the ready, some with chosen numbers marked on the game form, others hoping the computer would pick a winner, but all with dreams of how to spend $215 million. The jackpot for Saturday's drawing is the largest since South Carolina entered the multistate lottery game this fall and eclipses the $55 million jackpot for Friday's drawing in the 10-state Mega Millions played in neighboring Georgia. Ticket buyers from Georgia crossed the Savannah River to play the bigger jackpot. ``It appears that they are coming across the river since it's got up to $215 million,'' said Carla Bates, manager at the Circle K on Martintown Road in North Augusta. ``It's hard to say for sure, but there's a lot of new faces.'' Along the border with North Carolina, thousands of Tar Heels streamed into convenience stores to buy their chances at fortune, despite the fact that possession of a lottery ticket in North Carolina is a misdemeanor. Sharon Smith of Charlotte, N.C., said that doesn't stop her from driving over every week to buy a ticket. She stood in line Friday at the Handy Pantry on Carowinds Boulevard with her picks. She has a plan if she wins. ``I'd buy a house in the mountains so I could get my head together and figure out what to do with all this money,'' she said. At all five convenience stores at the theme park exit, customers almost all of them from North Carolina stood patiently in the lottery counter lines that had waits of less than 10 minutes despite the turnout. ``It's been like this ever since the jackpot got over $100 million,'' said Danielle Beck, manager of the Rocket Stop on Carowinds Boulevard. While there is no way to track or even estimate sales to out-of-state buyers, South Carolina's top 5 lottery outlets are on the border, said South Carolina Education Lottery spokeswoman Tara Robertson. In fact, they're all on Carowinds Boulevard. The lottery's Web site said the highway patrol had been alerted about possible traffic problems at sales sites, particularly along the borders. The state had sold about $2 million in tickets from Wednesday night's drawing through Friday afternoon with all day Saturday left to buy chances, Robertson said. Typically, the state sells $2 million in tickets per drawing. The state keeps half of the money from each ticket sold and the rest goes to the jackpot. The big Powerball jackpots have lured Shaun McGrath from China Grove, N.C. McGrath said Friday it was his third time making the 45-minute drive to buy tickets. He said he would retire from his construction job and buy his wife a new car if he won. For now though, he wishes North Carolina would get its own lottery. ``It certainly would be a lot easier on travel, and it would help the schools out, too,'' McGrath said. The bulk of South Carolina's lottery proceeds goes to scholarships for students attending the state's colleges and universities.