State in Throes of Lottery Madness

The line started here, in the middle of nowhere.

Outside of Will’s Country Store along the main road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, thousands of would-be millionaires snaked around the block Saturday, many pouring in from out of state.

They were farmers and factory workers, gamblers and grandmothers. Most drove. One man flew his plane to the nearest landing strip and walked two miles. They came from Modesto, Van Nuys, Las Vegas, even London. All were hoping for a piece of the record-breaking $193-million California Lottery jackpot.

Baker, population roughly 600, is little more than a fuel stop along Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert, less than an hour from the California-Nevada border.

Its claim to fame is the Bun Boy Motel, home of what is billed as the world’s tallest thermometer. But the country store, boasting a sign that reads, “The Lucky Spot in the Desert,” is becoming a legend in its own right. It has sold five winning lottery tickets since 1988, most recently a $14-million ticket in 1996, making it the second-winningest store in the state. Earning top honors is Allan’s Wine & Lotto in Port Hueneme, in Ventura County.

Will’s Country Store and another Baker spot, the Dry Lake Store, also both ranked in the top 12 locations for total lottery sales last year.

Will’s sold about $1.78 million in tickets and Dry Lake sold nearly $1.65 million.

People remember that sort of thing when the highest total of any lottery in the country involving just one state is up for grabs. Saturday’s jackpot was also the largest in the 16-year history of the California Lottery, and beat the previous record of $141 million, which a San Jose man won last June.

“This is the place to be,” said Mary Whitaker, 54, a bank executive from Modesto who stopped in Baker on her way to Vegas. “I think I’ll do better in the casino,” she admitted. “But there’s a different allure with this. It’s like fate.”

Lotto fever spread like an epidemic through California and even across its borders Saturday, with hopeful players streaming into the state from Nevada, Oregon and even Mexico to try their hand at the jackpot.

They crowded into corner stores and grocery marts, using birth dates, ages and anniversaries to pick their numbers. As ticket sales soared throughout the day, the pot continued to climb. Between 5 and 6 p.m., buyers spent $6.1 million on tickets.

Though the winning numbers--6, 11, 31, 32, 39 and Meganumber 20--flashed across television screens just before 8 p.m. Saturday, Lotto officials may not know until Tuesday if anyone won the jackpot.

The lottery offices will be closed Monday for Presidents Day.

If nobody has the winning combination, the jackpot will swell even higher for Wednesday night’s drawing.

Lines stretched out the door at several stores throughout the Southland that have a history of selling winning tickets.

Hundreds of gamblers flocked to Momma’s Mini Mart in Anaheim, placing their trust--and their cash--in the belief that luck would strike the same place twice.

A purple banner hanging over the store announced: “Millionaire Made Here,” a reminder, if locals needed any, that a customer turned a $3 ticket into an $87-million jackpot three years ago.

“This is the lucky place,” said Cain Franco, 31, who installs garage doors for a living. “I want to hit the big one!”

The Lotto craze caused a stir at Mr. C’s Liquor in San Pedro, where three multimillion-dollar tickets have been sold since 1989. Police officers had to negotiate peace between ticket buyers and nearby churchgoers.

A line of 100 would-be millionaires snaked from the lottery machine on the counter past the saltine crackers, out the door and right past the front doors of Bethany Apostolic Community Church, which shares a parking lot with Mr. C’s.

Church members said they called police when their side of the lot was swamped by ticket-buyers, some of whom refused to move until they had bought their tickets.

“We scheduled a prayer convention for today,” said Richard Holmes, associate pastor at Bethany. “But there’s more people out here than inside.”

Times staff writers Anna Gorman, Jack Leonard and Carol Chambers contributed to this report.