Two Mega Millions tickets worth $1M each sold at Bolla Market in West Hempstead

A West Hempstead shop proved twice as lucky in Mega Millions, as two tickets worth $1 million each were sold at the Bolla Market, lottery officials said Wednesday.

The two second-prize tickets were sold Tuesday. The latest drawing for the Powerball, which totaled $1.2 billion, was set for Wednesday night.

Brad Maione, spokesperson for the New York State Lottery, said it’s not unheard of to have two million-dollar winners from the same store and the same jackpot.

The Lotto drawing on Nov. 24, 2021, produced three winning tickets sold at Lucky Choice Convenience in Manhattan, he said. The $8.3 million prize was split three ways. 

Maione said it’s too soon to tell if it was one player or two buying tickets at the Bolla Market.

He said winners of a million dollars and up are posted on the lottery website and have one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.

Muhammad Ihsan, manager of the store, said they have had winners, but not like this.

“It was smaller prizes,” he said. “This is big; we’re excited and happy for the winners but we don’t know who it is.”

He said the store was doing brisk business Wednesday with Powerball hopefuls coming in to purchase tickets.

“Maybe they think we’re a lucky store,” he said. “We wish the best of luck for everyone for the big one tonight.”

Mega Millions winning numbers are drawn from a field of 1 to 70, while the Mega Ball is drawn from another field of 1 to 25.

“Since the start of the current jackpot roll up on Aug. 6, New York sales have been $129.53 million or 7.88% of the $1.64 billion across all participating Powerball jurisdictions leading up to Wednesday’s Powerball drawing,” lottery officials said.

With Joan Gralla