Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
Just hours after selling the winning ticket in Wednesday night’s $19 million National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) Lotto Plus draw, the Lucky Chance Lotto Booth is already seeing increased business.
While most people do not know who the new multi-millionaire is, booth operator Selina Rampersad said she was happy to contribute to someone’s life-changing win. Rampersad said it was the first time she or the business sold a winning Lotto Plus ticket.
“It is a good feeling to know you put that luck there for them. Maybe it is their own luck, but it is a good feeling,” Rampersad said.
It was, however, difficult for her to get a break to talk to Guardian Media.
When word spread that the NLCB outlet at Arcade Mall, San Fernando, had dispensed the winning ticket, many hopeful future jackpot winners lined up to take a chance in Saturday’s $2 million draw.
Rampersad’s boss called her around 11 am, excited that his booth sold the winning ticket.
Despite not knowing the winner, she felt happy for the person and the business, believing the win would encourage more customers to patronise the booth.
“We hope to sell more Cashpot and Lotto as well, and we hope for more customers, and we saw that this morning. We hope things get better,” she said.
Rampersad added some people play their own numbers, but most purchase Quick Picks.
With business activity not yet back to pre-pandemic levels around San Fernando, mall manager Akiel Mohammed thanked the winner for patronising a business at the location.
“It will encourage more people to come to the arcade. It will uplift businesses here and the Lotto guy, as well. He will also get more upliftment to sell more tickets, to come to work to serve the people, give them Lotto numbers, Cash Pot and things like that,” Mohammed said.
He said while the winner may not risk revealing his or her identity, he hoped they would return to the mall to patronise the stores there.
Mohammed said it was the first time he had seen the booth sell a winning Lotto ticket in ten to 15 years it had operated there.
