Bodie's Shell Proves Lucky for Lottery Players

AUGUSTA, Ga. --A local convenience store is so lucky that it's drawing lottery players from an adjacent state.

According to an analysis by The Augusta Chronicle, Bodie's Shell station had the most lottery winners over $600 -- 250 total -- in Richmond County, Ga., from 2009 through October 2013. According to a report by the newspaper, at least one resident travels over the Savannah River from his home in North Augusta, S.C., to buy his lottery tickets at Bodie's, which is located less than half a mile from the Georgia state line.

According to a report by the newspaper, Lichelle Gibbs, Bodie's lottery manager for more than 10 years, was not surprised that the store topped the list. Approximately one-third of the single store, which sits at the corner of 14th and Ellis Streets, is dedicated to lottery sales. The store also has a counter running two machines for lottery drawings, two vending machines that carry scratch-off tickets, and a bench for people playing lottery games.

Bodie's owner chose to move lottery operations away from the front of the store for the convenience of all customers, according to the news outlet. The Georgia Lottery has more than 80 instant or scratch-off games that range from $1 to $20 per play, as well as nine draw games, including Powerball, Fantasy 5, Cash 3 and Keno.

Just 16 miles away from Bodie's in the town of Hephzibah, Ga., two convenience stores -- Circle J and First Stop -- ranked second and third, respectively, for the most wins.

“People in this area play a lot of lottery,” said Vijay Patel, owner of First Stop.

Patel has built his reputation as a lucky store by posting two months of winning instant tickets on a wall by the counter. He is also cognizant of customer rituals and superstitions when buying tickets.

“Some people don’t like you to tell them good luck because that’s unlucky,” he told the news outlet. “So then they buy another ticket.”