SINGAPORE - Queues of people clutching their Toto slips snaked out of Singapore Pools outlets on Wednesday (Feb 17), all dreaming of the record $13.9 million prize for Friday's (Feb 19) Toto Hongbao Draw.
Some travelled across the island to the so-called "luckier" outlets - those which have sold the most number of winning tickets.
"I came down all the way from Jurong East to buy Toto here because many people have won big prizes here," said Mr Sun Liang, 78, who is unemployed. He was spotted in line at NTUC FairPrice Tanjong Pagar.
When The Straits Times visited the outlet, there were still around 30 people queueing to get their hand on a ticket at around 6pm, just an hour before closing time.
Retiree S. Rananathan, 75, was one of the hopefuls who waited in line for around 20 minutes. He believes he stands a good chance.
"Many people have won the top prize here before," he said.
And there were 24 people in queue over at the 7-Eleven retail outlet in Yishun Avenue 5, thought by most to be the luckiest outlet, having apparently given out 30 winning tickets so far.
Part-time storeman Mr Richard Tan, 65, said he hopes the outlet's luck will rub off on him.
"Who knows, I might just be that one lucky man that becomes a millionaire overnight," he said.
At another outlet in Yishun, lighting engineer Muthu Kuman, 31, said hopefully: "If money comes in, I'm happy." A regular Toto buyer, he had increased his spending for the special draw.
The jackpot for the special annual draw snowballed to $13.9 million when nobody won the Group 1 prize money of $1.9 million in the last draw on Monday.
