Steven Roberts’ didn’t win $1 million in the Maine Lottery instant drawing last week at the Maine Mall, but he was happy to take home $250,000.

“That’s the way the ball falls,” the Gorham man said. “I’m still a winner.”

Roberts had already won $250,000 in the lottery with a $10 scratch ticket he bought in August at 7 Eleven in Gorham, qualifying for a shot at the big jackpot. He was one of four finalists last week in the Million Dollar Bonus Spectacular instant ticket game at the Maine Mall last week. But Janet DeCosta of Weeks Mills took home the $1 million check.

“I’m happy for her,” Roberts said. “I thought she was going to have a heart attack.”

DeCosta and her family screamed, danced around and hugged on stage when one of her numbers, 10, came up in the lottery machine after a drum roll by Ian Leonard, an eighth-grade student at Cape Elizabeth Middle School. “Do you believe it? ” DeCosta asked her daughter several minutes afterwards. “I saw you jumping out of your seat.”

But luck hasn’t run out on Roberts. He still has another shot at a big prize. He was notified recently that he’s eligible for another $1 million drawing but no date had been set for it.

“I feel like he’s practicing for the next drawing,” Judy Roberts said as she and her husband sampled a piece of celebration cake following last week’s lottery drawing.

A large contingent of family turned out to support Roberts. The supporters included his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Elmer and Joanne Larson of Westbrook. “I wish him luck,” his mother-in-law said.

If some family members were on edge, Elmer Larson appeared relaxed before the big drawing. “It doesn’t bother me a bit. It’s not going in my pockets,” Larson said. “They deserve it. He’s always worked hard.”

One of Roberts’ brothers, Mark Liberty of Standish, said his brother was nervous as Wednesday’s event drew closer. “He’s out of his element. He doesn’t like crowds. He’s nervous,” Liberty said.

But Roberts seemed calm and casual. “Just get it over with. Either you win or you go home,” Roberts said.

Before the televised drawing with bright lights and whirring cameras, the four finalists got makeup for the event. Then waited in the wings as the clock ticked off the minutes to 6:15 p.m. “How long do I have to stand up? Six hours?” Roberts replied when a lottery representative asked him to get ready to step on stage.

A Westbrook friend of the Roberts family, Tricia Fayan, spotted Roberts standing by. “How come you’re not on stage? Are you nervous?” she asked with a smile.

Fayan said Roberts is a hard worker and dedicated to his family. “He deserves it; he’s a great family man,” she said hoping he’d hit the jackpot.

Judy Lopez, a clerk at the Big Apple in Gorham where Roberts often buys lottery tickets, was on hand for the drawing. “Before he won the big one, I figured there’s no way he’s going to catch up,” she said of $250,000 Roberts had won. “He’s the luckiest guy in the world.”

Roberts was on a roll going into the big draw, as he had won $2,000 with one of the five $1 scratch tickets be bought the weekend before. “When the phone rings, it’s how much has he won this time. It’s unbelievable,” said another brother of Roberts, Jimmy Liberty of Windham.

Maine State Lottery Director Dan Gwadosky said the relatively-new instant games are popular. He said 70 percent of lottery sales are from instant tickets.

Gwadosky said most games “turn around” in 30 weeks, but it took a year to get the four finalists for last week’s end-of-game drawing. He said the instant game returned $18 million to winners overall, including last week’s instant drawing for the million.

Steve Roberts of Gorham. “I’m still a winner.”The wait.

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