SUNDERLAND — A huge grin spreads across Paul Mardas’ face as he recounts the story of when he and a Michigan couple took home stacks of money over the course of half a decade through the Massachusetts Lottery.

By 2011, Mardas and his store, Billy’s Beverages, were at the center of Boston Globe and state investigations into how Gerald “Jerry” and Marge Selbee of Evart, Michigan, made nearly $27 million playing the Cash WinFall lottery game, which Jerry Selbee discovered had a mathematical flaw. If no one won the jackpot for several weeks, that prize money rolled down to the lower prize tiers, which Selbee found would allow someone to make a lot of money if they purchased many tickets.

“No matter who I tell this story, they love it,” Mardas said, sitting behind the counter at the Bridge Street store he’s run for 27 years in the heart of Sunderland.

The story of the Selbees and their 700-mile trips to Massachusetts is featured in the new film, “Jerry and Marge Go Large” — based on Jason Fagone’s Huffington Post story of the same name — which premiered on Paramount+ on June 17. The film, made into a comedy, features “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston as Jerry Selbee and Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening as Marge Selbee.

From Evart, Selbee said it’s “pretty flattering” that Hollywood wanted to take a chance on their story.

“We enjoyed getting away from home and we enjoyed what we were doing,” Selbee, 83, said by phone. “I liked western Massachusetts. I thought it was really nice and the people were very nice.”

While Mardas and Billy’s Beverages have been replaced in the film by Bill — played by “The Office” star Rainn Wilson — and Bill’s Liquor Hut, he is excited to see the film.

“I haven’t seen the movie yet,” Mardas said Monday afternoon. “I want to see it and I know it’s going to be dramatized. … If it’s a comedy, I hope it’s really funny.”

Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Mardas excitedly reported that he had watched the film after being interviewed the previous day.

“I thought it was well done,” he said, although, as expected, the filmmakers did “add a little bit of edginess” to it. “I think it captured some of the honest character of Marge and Jerry.”

The Selbees played Michigan’s version of Cash WinFall for a few years before the state shut it down due to a lack of sales. Mardas said they heard about his store and Jerry’s Place in South Deerfield — which is now Leo’s Table and also had the same lottery machine — from a factory worker who moved from Northampton to Michigan. From there, Mardas said the Selbees met with him to make sure he was a trustworthy partner and they soon began buying Cash WinFall tickets en masse.

Selbee said they would spend roughly two weeks at the Red Roof Inn in South Deerfield every time they came to Franklin County and they would spend the majority of their time buying tickets. If they arrived ahead of schedule, he said he and Marge loved exploring New England.

“If we got out there early, we would play golf for a little bit,” Selbee said, “and then we drove through New Hampshire and Vermont and went over to the Maine coast.”

Jerry Selbee, Mardas said, wanted to partner with a store that he “felt like he had an honest relationship with.” Soon, the Selbees hopped in their car, booked a room at the Red Roof Inn and met Mardas at the store.

“They played for the first time and I made money,” Mardas said, adding that the rest was history, as Jerry and Marge would visit every seven or eight weeks.

Mardas said he “made a healthy amount of money” that he was able to put back into his store and use to help his family. The Selbees were in it for the same reasons.

“It allowed me to get ahead of paying off bills,” Mardas recalled. “It was all about family. … The first word in (the Selbees’) sort of mission statement is ‘family.’”

Selbee said they lost money twice in 12 attempts while playing Michigan’s version of Cash WinFall. Their luck in Massachusetts, however, was even better.

“In Massachusetts, we played 43 times and we lost once,” he said. “It was a good run. Mathematically, we should’ve lost in Massachusetts four times, but we lost once.”

Eventually, a state employee submitted a tip to the Boston Globe, which soon launched an investigation drawing the state’s attention. The state investigated the Selbees, Jerry’s Place and Billy’s Beverages, but found no illegal activity. In a “60 Minutes” interview, the state’s inspector general said his team went into the case expecting to find organized crime, but came upon a group of people who had just figured out the game.

“The perception was that the Lottery was getting milked,” Mardas said. “It wasn’t anything criminal or against the rules, much as a pro gambler figures out how to play baccarat.”

Billy’s Beverages’ lottery license was suspended for two weeks, but was quickly restored. The Massachusetts Lottery ended the Cash WinFall game in January 2012.

These days, Mardas and the Selbees keep in touch a couple times a year. Mardas said he sends them flowers for their Christmas dinner table.

The Selbees remain in Michigan, where they live a modest life, despite their millions in earnings. Jerry said he and Marge miss the game and their travel time, but it’s always a great memory to look back on.

“It was a pleasure and I wish it were still going. We enjoyed it,” Selbee reflected, adding that he still plays the lottery every now and again. “Once in a while I’ll buy a Fantasy 5 ticket in Michigan and that’s it.”

The film “Jerry and Marge Go Large” can be streamed on Paramount+.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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