Tough luck? Harmar beer distributor sells another big lottery ticket as store preps to close in a few weeks

A Harmar beer distributor has recently become the jackpot for big-winning lottery tickets — but buy those tickets while you still can.

Willy’s Beer and Beverage on Freeport Road sold a jackpot-winning Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket on Saturday, Dec. 16, lottery officials announced Monday.

The drawing matched all five balls drawn, 1-9-13-21-36, to win $350,000 less taxes.

The beer distributor gets a $500 bonus for selling the ticket.

“It’s very exciting,” said store manager Barry Hughes. “It’s kind of bittersweet — we’re going out of business Jan. 4.”

Store owner Linda Wilson said she knows who the winner is, but she said that person wants to be anonymous.

“He’s a very regular customer that plays a lot,” Wilson said. “He was deserving also.”

The other deserving winner, Wilson said, was Kimberley Adamik of Fawn. On June 22, Adamik bought a million-dollar scratch-off ticket from the beer distributor. Willy’s received a $5,000 bonus for selling that ticket.

That game — “$1 Million? Seriously?” — featured five top prizes of $1 million. It costs $20 to play.

“I told the lottery distributor, ‘After 28 years of selling lottery, who would’ve thought I’d have two big winners toward the end?’ ” Wilson said.

Willy’s Beer and Beverage is a family-owned small business. It’s been at its current Freeport Road location since 2008.

While the store has had big lottery winners before, none has gotten close to the $1 million or $350,000 prizes. Wilson recalled a $25,000 winner more than 13 years ago.

“It’s important to remember that Pennsylvania Lottery prizes are distributed randomly throughout each game, meaning the chances of winning are not influenced by where a ticket is sold,” said Pennsylvania Lottery spokeswoman Diana Dietz. “What may seem like a cluster of wins in a certain area is more likely just pure luck.”

With random distribution, regions with larger numbers of players tend to have a proportionate ratio of players winning, Dietz said. But that doesn’t mean those regions are “luckier” than other areas.

Winning tickets are sold statewide, she said. Every month, the lottery publishes a list of people who have won $1,000 or more.

Wilson thanked all of her customers for their support over the years. Hughes, who has worked for Wilson for 18 years, had similar remarks.

“I appreciate all the service they gave us,” he said. “They’re going to be missed just as much as they’ll miss us.”