Nogales businesses benefiting from Powerball ticket sales

Posted: Jan 12, 2016 2:52 PM PST
Updated: Jan 12, 2016 4:47 PM PST
By Cynthia Washington CONNECT


One person purchased $3,000 worth of Powerball tickets at this market in Nogales on Tuesday. (Source: Tucson News Now)

NOGALES, AZ (Tucson News Now) -As the Powerball brings people across the border with hopes of becoming rich, it is also helping Nogales businesses.

“We had about $3,000 [of tickets] first sale this morning. It took about 2 hours to print all his tickets and we had another guy this morning who bought about $2,000 [worth of tickets] and I think our sales this weekend on Sunday we sold $5,000 just lottery,” said Sergio Villa, manager at Villa’s Market.
Villa’s Market is just a few hundred feet from the Mexico - U.S. border, and the first place to buy Powerball tickets if you cross the border by foot.

As people spend a few dollars on tickets, they are also spending money at local shops.

“The guy in the morning actually he bought some tickets and after that he walked around the store took some candies, got some coffee, got some refills,” Villa said.

But it’s not just Powerball retailers that are seeing the positive impact of the growing jackpot.

Blanquita’s Taqueria, a Nogales restaurant, is also staying busy.

“More people have the fever, the fever of the winners is expanding; It is good for the business. Increase the people, increase the customers,” said Vidal Ramirez, manager at the restaurant.

Nogales shuttle driver Luis Aragoa said lately, many of his passengers have wanted to cross the border to buy Powerball tickets.

“Some of them, they come to shop and other things, but they stop to get a ticket because they are expecting to get at least $10,000 to play their bills,” he said.

The drawing is Wednesday night and many lottery retailers in Nogales are expecting even more sales that day.

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/3...l-ticket-sales