This Thursday a record-breaking Powerball jackpot of $150 million is up for grabs, inspiring up to half of Australian adults to purchase an entry into the draw and spurring lines out the door of lottery retailers across the country.
While everyday Australians are dreaming about how they would spend the life-changing jackpot prize, franchisees from the Lott – Australia’s official lotteries are working hard behind-the-scenes to ensure every customer had a valid entry into the momentous draw.
Last Thursday, in the lead up to the $100 million draw, the Lott saw a frenzy of activity at 4:59 pm when 5,167 tickets were sold in the span of 60 seconds.
There were queues out the door as first-time lottery players grabbed a QuickPick and faithful regulars play their favourite marked numbers meaning the Lott’s retail network of nearly 4,000 stores saw a massive boost in foot traffic and this frenzy is expected to continue this week in the lead up to Thursday’s draw.
The Lott franchisee, and owner of West Doncaster News and Lotto, Dhanesh Amarsi said he was absolutely run off his feet this week as his customers dreamt of a life-changing win.
“We’d had a big week last week in the lead up to $100 million, but once customers saw that Powerball had jackpotted to $150 million, tickets were flying through the door,” he explained.
“We are prepared for a busy week by putting on more staff and increasing our opening hours.
“We have seen a lot of existing customers increase their average ticket spend. We also welcomed infrequent customers, as well as people we haven’t met before. Everyone wants a chance to take home this huge prize!
“It is very exciting! There is such a great atmosphere in store. The staff are really getting into it and enjoying themselves and the customers are loving it too.
“Since we’ve seen these higher jackpots, we’ve had plenty of the same customers come in to check their tickets. Some used their winnings to purchase lottery products but it also gave them exposure to other parts of the business that we offer, like dry-cleaning.
“It’s also great to show new customers that it’s possible to win. There has been awareness that they can win any prize and I think that has brought people back.
“It’s created a really positive feeling amongst our customers and customers of lotteries.”
Director of Franchise Advisory Centre Jason Gehrke said customers might not realise that the outlets where they bought their lottery tickets were independently owned and operated franchises.
“The business owners at these outlets are not corporate employees but instead people who play an active part of the local community, and who shares the excitement of their customers,” he said.
“Franchisees are the backbone of Australian small business and their hard work and dedication creates employment opportunities for local communities, while at the same time providing products and services to local markets.
“Customers in a hurry to buy their lottery tickets have more time when they come back to check their numbers, and in doing so, begin to realise that their local franchisee offers so much more than just lottery tickets.”
The home of Australia’s Official Lotteries, The Lott offers Australia’s official lottery games from NSW Lotteries, Golden Casket, Tatts and SA Lotteries. This includes games like Saturday Lotto, Monday & Wednesday Lotto, Oz Lotto, Powerball and Instant Scratch-Its.
Investing in a the Lott franchise gives small businesses the potential to increase revenue and join a strong Australian retail network that has been operating for more than a century.
A franchise from the Lott is the perfect complement to a range of small businesses; including convenience stores, convenience supermarkets, pharmacies, tobacconists, newsagents and more.
In the 12 months to 30 June 2019, more than 131.8 million winners took home more than $3.3 billion in prize money from their favourite games at the Lott, including Saturday Lotto, Monday and Wednesday Lotto, Powerball, Oz Lotto, Set for Life, Lucky Lotteries, Keno, Super 66, Lotto Strike and Instant Scratch-Its.