News 3 looks at the top 5 most winning lottery retailers in the state
Bobby Boparai was an over-the-road truck driver based in
California back in the late 1990s when his brother-in-law called with a
business opportunity.
"He had three to four gas stations in
Milwaukee," the native of India said. "He offered to help me buy one and
then, he help me do the business, learn the cash register, how to sell
Lottery tickets."
It is that last skill that Boparai's Marathon
Mini Mart in northwest Milwaukee at 4312 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., has done
very well at over the last five years.
Since 2008, a News 3 analysis of the Wisconsin Lottery winner database
shows Boparai has sold 93 winning tickets worth $600 and higher. It's a
total that's more than any other Lottery retailer in the state during
that time frame.
"We get the money from the Lottery and it helps
pay the bills, you know?" Boparai said. "Otherwise, business look not
like before. Business slow for everybody, you know. We are happy to have
the Lottery, so we can run the business good."
According to the
Wisconsin Lottery, retailers earn a 6.25 percent commission on scratch
ticket sales and a 5.5 percent commission on online sales. They also
earn a percentage back for selling big winning tickets. Boparai's 93
tickets amounted to $584,050 in winnings.
Records show Boparai's
Marathon Mini Mart is well ahead of Woodman's Food Market No. 16, on
Madison's east side at 3817 Milwaukee St., which sold 68 similar tickets
over the last five years. Those winners accounted for $369,839 in prize
money.
"I know we do a lot of sales, so I'd assume we would have a
high percentage of winners," Dawn Lopez, who works at the Customer
Service desk of the Woodman's store, said. "Everybody, if they win,
they're going to buy me dinner or take me on a trip and some people
specifically ask for losers because if you ask for a winner, that's not
lucky, so they ask for a loser and think they have a better chance of
getting a winner."
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