Clerk Saqib Qureshi is handing out a wealth of Lotto Max tickets at his Petro-Canada station near Sunridge Mall. (Lyle Aspinall, QMI Agency)

CALGARY - Lotto fever is once again sweeping the city as thousands clamour to get tickets in time for Friday's $50-million Lotto Max jackpot.

The Lotto Max top prize hasn't been won for three weeks, meaning the $50 million will once again be up for grabs, while an estimated 55 Maxmillion prizes of $1 million each will also be available.

"It's been crazy," said clerk Mohammad Raza while customers queued for tickets at a Mac's store on Rundlehorn Dr. N.E.

"Normally we sell $3,500 in a week, but last week we sold more than $13,000 in lottery and that's a record for this store.

"This week, we're selling $1,500 minimum a day."

Part of a group of 20 who bought tickets for this week's draw, Robin Andrews said she would show up at work on Monday if their ticket is a winner.

"Oh yeah, to clean out my desk," she said with a laugh.

When asked what she'd do with $50 million, Andrews said helping family would be high on her list.

"First thing I would do is set trust funds for all (my) kids," she said.

"The first thing I would do for myself is buy a house.

"Then I'd go visit family. I've got family all over the world."

An avid lotto player for the last 10 years, the biggest payout Andrews has seen is $150, but that's not stopping her from keeping her fingers crossed.

"Just cause you never know," she said.

Standing behind Andrews in line, Sam Thind said he couldn't resist buying a ticket after seeing the jackpot reach $50 million.

"This is probably the first ticket I've bought in a while," he said.

Thind also has a few plans in mind should his quick-pick ticket become a winner.

"There's a lot of things you can do," he said. "I put some into my business -- $50 million is a lot of money."

Thind is also hoping lottery luck is genetic.

"One of my family members, he won $25 million in Manitoba," he said. "That was two or three years ago."

The odds of winning Friday's Lotto Max are roughly 1-in-28 million and tickets will be sold until 7 p.m.

dave.dormer@sunmedia.ca