Gamble Pays Off for Big Winners in Lottery

The California State Lottery was only 20 minutes old when Dr. Maurice S. Ghattas began screaming with glee.

“I bought $50 worth of tickets and the seventh ticket I scratched, I saw I won $5,000,” he said. “I started screaming. You bet I started screaming. You work hard to make $5,000. I know I’m a doctor but I still work hard to get $5,000.”

Ghattas, an acne specialist with practices in Fullerton and Anaheim, said that he is now a confirmed lottery addict and will buy 50 tickets every month. “It’s better than going to Las Vegas. I don’t have to drive,” he said. “It’s not gambling; it’s good for education and children.”

Jesus Lopes, 33, put down his spatula at about 2 p.m. to go on his lunch break. But first, he decided, he would join about 20 people lined up in front of his workplace, Ted’s Burgers in Orange, to buy lottery tickets.

The cook, who lives in Anaheim, said that he never gambles but made an exception for California’s newest form of legalized betting. “You know, I thought it would be fun to buy some tickets on the first day,” he said. “I saw so many people buying the tickets and pretty soon, I wanted to take a chance.”

So he bought 15 tickets at $1 each and began scratching off the six squares that reveal winners and losers. On the fourth try, he uncovered three $5,000 signs, making him the third county resident to win a top prize on the first day of ticket sales.

“My wife is going to be really excited,” he said as he cashed in his ticket at the county lottery office in Anaheim. “I tried to call her, but I guess she’s out picking up the kids at school.”

Lopes then asked for directions to the Hollywood Bowl, where, he said, he would take his family to a Thursday night celebration planned for first-day winners.

Homemaker Shirley Slater, also an Anaheim resident, contracted lottery fever early.

“We’ve been getting ready to play this thing for a long time,” she said. “It’s a quick way to make some money.” She and husband Ron hit Ladd Liquor in Anaheim as soon as ticket sales started at 12:30 p.m.

They bought two tickets for starters and Shirley peeled back a $2 winner. Since $2 and $5 tickets can be redeemed at the place of purchase, she cashed it in for two more tickets. This time she uncovered a $10 winner.

“So I bought 10 more,” she said. “And we hit the jackpot. My knees are still knocking I’m so nervous.”

What would she do with her $5,000 jackpot? “Well, I haven’t really thought about it,” she said. “We’ll probably put it in the bank.”

“We do need a new lawn mower,” Ron Slater said.

“That’s right, we’ll definitely get a new lawn mower,” Shirley said.

Slater, Lopes and Ghattas were the first people to haul in $5,000 tickets in Orange County on Thursday as the lottery, designed to raise money for California school systems, got off to a flying start.

A Few Tense Moments

By 5 p.m., 12 winners of $5,000 had claimed their prizes at the Anaheim office (they will receive checks by mail in seven to 10 days), as well as six winners of $1,000, 11 of $500 and 23 of $100, said regional director James E. Braxton.

Although most of the people who crowded the small lottery office went away happy, there were some tense moments for a few people who made a major error: stripping off a thin silver “void if removed” label from the bottom of their cards.

One $5,000 winner, a $1,000 winner and at least two with $100 tickets had committed the same mistake, said Braxton, who said that the state office would make a decision soon on their validity. “It looks pretty good, as long as there’s no tampering with the ticket,” he said.

There were plenty of losers on the first day, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the big winners.

Winnings in Savings Account

Ghattas said that he would put the $5,000 into a savings account for his two children. He said that he bought the winning ticket at his cousin’s grocery store, Caesar’s Food Mart in Santa Ana.

Would he share any of the winnings with his cousin? “Why should I?” he asked.

Shirley Slater said that she definitely would play again. “We just do it for fun. I never really dreamed of doing this well,” she said. “The only other time I ever won was $100 on the slots in Vegas.” Thursday night, she said, “we’re going to have a party. We are definitely going to celebrate.”

Lopes, who retained a cool demeanor while discussing his good fortune, said that he would attempt to put the winnings down on a house. Would he play again?

“Sure,” he said. “Why not?”