Huge Lotto Jackpot Creates Bigger Dreams of Instant Riches : Lottery: Officials said the prize reached $45 million by Wednesday. The odds of winning? 1 in 18 million.

As Costa Mesa resident Dave Hunnewell went to buy lottery tickets Wednesday afternoon, visions of yachts and a $45-million jackpot danced in his head.

“It is just kind of a daydream,” said Hunnewell, 31, who broke with tradition and splurged on 10 California Super Lotto tickets during lunch hour Wednesday. “I usually play one dollar every Wednesday and Saturday but decided to put in a little more because the pot is so high. It is fun to dream about yachts and stuff like that.”

Like Hunnewell, thousands of Orange County residents Wednesday filled liquor stores, convenience markets and grocery stores during the day to invest in their dreams. Officials drew the winning numbers Wednesday night and will announce the number of winning tickets today. Lottery winners will then have 180 days to claim their prize.

“The Super Lotto has the biggest jackpot and the longest odds,” said Joanne McNabb, director of public relations for the state lottery. “And more people play that game than any other.”

For those obsessed with numbers, the odds of winning the largest jackpot in more than a year are 1 in 18 million, McNabb said. By Wednesday, more than 11 million Californians had bought chances at the prize, which had risen to $45 million.

“We didn’t have a big jackpot for a long time,” said Sam Abboud, manager of a 7-Eleven in Anaheim. “That is why people get so excited.” He said ticket sales were brisk Wednesday, but not overwhelming.

Because there has not been a jackpot winner since June 20, the pot has expanded in the past month from $3 million to the eighth-highest sum since Lotto began in 1986. But with so many clamoring to enter, the chances are small that there will be a single winner.

The last time the jackpot exceeded $40 million was April of last year when a record $118.8-million jackpot was claimed by 10 triumphant ticket holders.

Lotto fever began spreading Wednesday morning throughout Orange County.

“It started about 5 a.m. this morning and it hasn’t stopped,” said Rex Heinlein, owner of a 7-Eleven store in Costa Mesa. “We haven’t had a pot like this in more than a year. This is when it gets real good.”

Heinlein said that the fervor created by such a large jackpot will boost daily ticket sales at his store dramatically. He helps whip up lottery business by mounting a white and green California Lotto sign in the store window where the jackpot total is displayed.

“Somebody came in and bought a couple hundred tickets this morning,” Heinlein said while ringing up Lotto ticket sales throughout the day. Most lottery players purchase about 10 tickets, he said.

Doug Gracy and Dave Nelson, both employees of a car dealership in Costa Mesa, had walked across the street to buy 70 lottery tickets with money collected from their colleagues.

“We each put in five bucks, and if we win,” Nelson joked, “none of us are going to work.”

Top 10 Lottery Prizes Lottomania has captured Orange County and the rest of California. With the biggest jackpot in more than a year waiting to be won, more than 11 million Californians have bought chances to pick all six winning numbers in the $45-million drawing.

Winning Number of Amount Date Tickets *Winners l. $118.80 million April 17, 1991 10 54 2. 68.56 million Feb.21,1990 4 11 3. 61.98 million Oct.29,1988 3 41 4. 56.34 million Sept.13,1989 9 76 5. 51.40 million June 4,1988 2 2 6. 46.74 million April 11,1990 3 3 7. 45.30 million Dec.5,1990 1 1 8. 44.88 million March 4,1989 4 4 9. 44.00 million Aug.11,1990 1 17 10. 41.58 million Jan.21,1989 7 7

*Includes holders of shared tickets.Source: California Lottery