Frustrated retail clerks unable to sell lottery tickets because of computer glitches had to deal with frustrated customers as the deadline loomed Wednesday evening for the $72 million Powerball jackpot.
“I’ve had to tell people probably 10 million times today that our machines don’t work and it’s not our fault,” said Amanda Kingston, a clerk at Russell’s convenience store inside the Independence Plaza office building at 17th and Curtis streets.
She had taped three signs over the new, blue Colorado Lottery terminals that stated they didn’t work and that customers could go to the store’s other locations.
“I wish I could put a bag over the machine. Then they wouldn’t ask me,” Kingston said. “A lot of people come in at lunch and use their scratch-ticket winnings to buy lunch. Today, we couldn’t validate their tickets.”
The Lottery on Sunday changed the terminals in about 2,800 retail stores across the state and added new software for the entire system. The Lottery had two years to prepare for the new system, but glitches popped up systemwide Monday and Tuesday.
Many retailers contacted Wednesday said their terminals were still down or were working only sporadically. But Lottery officials said sales were nearly equal to last week’s.
“Sales are very strong. We will meet or exceed last week’s Powerball sales,” said Michael Cooke, executive director of the state Department of Revenue.
As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Cooke said, sales were at $631,000, compared with $656,000 for the same period last week.
“Yes, there are problems,” Cooke said. “But we’re finding them and getting the terminals to work.”
Safeway spokesman Jeff Stroh was less than impressed with the change to the new system.
“We were expecting to have some difficulty with the changeover, but not this level of problems,” said Stroh. “Given the lead time they had for this transition, we would never have anticipated these problems.”
Only five of 13 Russell’s convenience stores were selling tickets. Vicki Jackson, a partner in the company that owns Russell’s, said her losses were “substantial” due to lost Lottery commissions as well as customers who leave without buying anything if they find out they can’t buy a ticket.
The stores had problems with cabling, networking and DSL lines. One retail owner said installers put his new terminal’s satellite dish on his store by propping it up with cinder blocks.
Gene Judge of Aurora said he drove from store to store looking for a place to buy Lottery tickets where there wasn’t a big line.
“Today is the last day. If you don’t get them, it might be your lucky ticket that you miss,” said Judge, who was at a 7-Eleven at East 17th Avenue and Gilpin Street.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona contributed to this report.
Staff writer Mike McPhee can be reached at 303-820-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
