As Connecticut Lotto turns Forty, residents are spending more and more on the opportunity to hit it rich.

Milford resident James Brown stood scratching away at his “3 Times Fortunate” scratch card in the Bridgeport Ave.

“I buy them about once a week,” declared Brown of the various lotto tickets. “Won a trip to Vegas once.”

George Altieri of West Sanctuary sipped his coffee in the corner of the Milford gas station across from Brown.

“I was just in here this A. M. for mine,” said Altieri, “I’m in here each week, doubtless since they started. I’m going to win tonight,” he grinned. Lottery checker

Neither have hit the bulls-eye yet, but both still make their weekly contributions toward the enormous prize.

As the Connecticut Lotto approaches a significant point next month, officers say state residents are spending more on them than ever before. Lottery winning numbers

“On February. 16, we’ll turn Forty years old,” expounded Diane Patterson, VP of selling and sales at the Connecticut Lotto Company in Rocky Hill.

Statistics posted on the Connecticut Lottery’s site say in Economic Year 1972, its first year, sales of the once per week Connecticut Lotto totaled $17,288,925. But Patterson expounded sales for Economic Year 2011, which ended on June 30 of last year, topped $1 bn. for the 1st time, and Economic Year 2012 is looking like it will set even higher record sales.

“We had a very good first 2 quarters and a good holiday season,” she claimed.

In Nov, Connecticut saw its largest lottery prize ever, a $245 million jackpot won by 3 asset bosses who work for a Greenwich investment firm. And already this year, the state had its first $1 million winner, a girl cement wagon driver from Ashford, Marilyn Rossi, who acquired the winning ticket for the Super Draw game.

Patterson claimed the Connecticut Lotto Company was still preparing its annual reportfor 2011, but she could report that the lotto paid $289,300,000 for that fiscal year to the nation’s general fund to support state programs and reduce taxes.

Another big lottery stories starts on Jan. Fifteen, when tickets go up for sale for the newly refurbished, multi-state PowerBall game.

The cost of a PowerBall ticket will go from $1 to $2, and the minimum warranted jackpot prize will jump from $20 million to $40 million. Patterson recounted other changes willinclude more chances to win more than $1 million on each drawing, and the general chances of winning will improve, going from the present 1 in 35 chances to 1 in 31.

“So it’s going to be a little better to win a prize in PowerBall,” she said.

Patterson added the Lottery disclaimer against excessive gambling. “We remind our purchasers to play responsibly, and you have got to be over 18,” she claimed.

Jay and his son Asad, owners of the BP on Bridgeport Ave. For the last 3 years, say sales seem steady after the vacation spike in lottery ticket purchases.

“Things get fairly occupied if there is a big PowerBall or a super Draw though,” added Asad.