Towson yet to catch lottery bug for tonight's $449M drawing

While Towson students in the area can use their ATM-type OneCard for gas and groceries at his store, Radwan said the card does not apply to the lottery.

Around the corner, workers at the Exxon gas station on York Road rang customers up for cigarettes and gas but no lottery tickets. Malik Imram, manager of the Exxon, said fewer people rush to buy lottery tickets in the summer.

"School's out and people are on summer vacation," Imram said. "There's not much traffic through here."

Closer to the center of Towson, the 7-Eleven on the corner of York Road and Chesapeake Avenue saw a few people going in and out on their lunch break. Still, only one man stopped long enough to buy both a Mega Millions and a Powerball ticket before rushing back to work. At the Exxon gas station on Joppa Road, workers saw above average sales but no rush for a ticket. Adam Gondal, owner of the station since 2008, said he plans to buy his own ticket.

"I want to travel the world," Gondal said.

Lottery retailers such as the Exxon station are paid commission for winning tickets sold. Carole Gentry, director of communications for the Maryland Lottery, said for tonight's Mega Millions drawing retailers of a winning ticket could receive $100,000. While the winnings would be life-changing, Gentry said many people are used to buying their tickets in a rush for larger numbers.

"When you get over the billion-dollar mark it affects your perspective," Gentry said.

Gentry said 11 Mega Million jackpots were won in Maryland over the years, but there are plenty of other winners.

"We have a $1 million second-tier ticket from Dundalk about to expire on Friday," Gentry said. "With all the excitement going on, people need to remember to check their tickets."

The cutoff time for tickets in tonight's Mega Millions drawing is 10:45 p.m. The winning numbers will be announced on WBAL at 11:22 p.m. If no one wins tonight, Gentry expects the jackpot to pass $500 million.