With Mega Millions climbing toward $750 million and Powerball sitting near $640 million, Alabama residents spent Friday crossing the state line into Florida to buy tickets, and the Flora-Bama Liquor and Lotto at Perdido Key felt it all day.
Employees said the store had a line inside for most of the 12 hours between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. as customers waited their turn at the lottery machine.
Why the Traffic Heads South
Alabama does not run a state lottery, so players who want a ticket have to drive to a neighboring state. For much of south Alabama, the shortest trip is to the Florida line, which puts stores near Perdido Key and the Alabama-Florida border in a good position whenever jackpots swell.
The crowd Friday included both newcomers and regulars. A woman visiting from Montgomery said she already knew what she would do with a win: “I’m gonna buy a house on the beach.”
Jason Slay, who said he is from north Alabama, had similar plans. “I’m from north Alabama so I definitely wouldn’t live in north Alabama anymore,” he said. “I’d be living somewhere down here.”
A Regular Keeps Score
Joe Phillips of Orange Beach plays year-round and tracks his winnings, which have added up to hundreds of dollars rather than millions.
“I keep a running total of what I do,” Phillips said. “I think total last year in lottery, all the different forms of lottery, I won like 260 bucks, but I have no idea how much I spent. I don’t keep a running total of that. I’m afraid to look.”