Lottomania hits SoCal as lines build for hopefuls seeking winning ticket

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Bluebird Liquor in Hawthorne is just one of many hot spots in Southern California where people looking to hit the jackpot are buying their tickets Monday's Powerball drawing.

The grand prize stands at around $900 million, and with recent six-digit lottery wins in Southern California, the next big winner could be you.

Diane Jacobs told Eyewitness News that she thinks she is holding Monday's winning ticket.

"I am. I am. All four of these. I have them right here," she said. "So, if I do win, I am not going to let my family know."

Jacobs said if she wins the jackpot, she wants to first enjoy her money, and then she will let her family know.

Monday's jackpot is the seventh-highest in U.S. lottery history. The biggest prize was more than $2 billion, which was won by someone in Southern California in 2022.

The other national lottery game, Mega Millions, has a drawing on Tuesday with an estimated jackpot of $640 million.

The odds of winning the jackpot in either game are extremely low, but that doesn't stop people from being hopeful.

One hopeful winner Charles Brown had a stack of Powerball tickets ready ahead of Monday's drawing.

"You got to have hopes. If you don't have hopes, then how are you going to win," said Brown.

Jacobs agreed, saying mindset goes a long way in getting the jackpot.

"I'm speaking it into existence," she said.

Whether or not Jacobs or Brown win the jackpot isn't for certain, but someone will win the jackpot at some point. Let's hope it is someone from Southern California!