A Toronto bakery is dishing some dough for customers dreaming of cashing in on the record US$1.5 billion Powerball lottery jackpot by giving away tickets for anyone spending at least $20 on baked goods.
“On Sunday morning when I heard that no one had won the largest jackpot, we took off Sunday morning and went down and picked up 500 tickets,” said World Class Bakers manager Suzanna King.
King said several colleagues went down to Buffalo, N.Y. and purchased the tickets at an outlet mall.
“We did the promotion about 10 years ago and it was really successful. We had a hard time getting tickets then,” she said.
READ MORE: What Canadians need to know about the more than $1-billion Powerball lottery
King said business has spiked since the promotion was announced on Monday.
“It’s been steady ever since, non-stop. So hopefully we have enough product and we got all of our suppliers to send more and we’re baking like crazy,” King said.
Canadians are eligible to buy tickets to the U.S. lottery jackpot which are not sold in Canada. However, Powerball warns on its websites against buying tickets from third-party resellers online.
Customer Michael Nocera said he couldn’t resist coming down to the bakery after he heard about the promotion from his wife.
“I always felt in my heart in a deep way that I will win it, if that’s in God’s will,” Nocera said.
Customer Fabiana Piedra received 10 Powerball tickets, but not before exchanging it for $200 worth of gift certificates.
“This is not for me. We have to split it with my coworkers and my family,” said Piedra.
World Class Bakers, which has been in business for 15 years, said patrons have been coming in from all over the Greater Toronto Area for the tickets.
“Someone’s got to win. You never know who it is going to be, right?,” said King. “We have King City, Barrie, Burlington. We have a lot of people come over who drive down.”
The bakery is normally open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. but has extended its hours on Wednesday until 10 p.m. for any last minute Powerball players.
The jackpot draw will be held at 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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