The Multi-State Lottery Association raised the ticket price from $1 to $2 in 2012, doubling the jackpots.
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However, six tickets, with five of the six winning numbers, were sold throughout California on Saturday night’s drawing. Lines formed at convenience stores around New Mexico and other states to purchase tickets for the Powerball jackpot.
But those odds haven’t stopped people in the area from buying countless Powerball tickets in anticipation for the upcoming drawing, which will occur at 10:59 p.m. on Wednesday.
With the Powerball lottery jackpot now at a mind-boggling .5 billion, it’s hard not to daydream about becoming filthy rich overnight.
The Powerball jackpot is already the largest offered by any lottery, anywhere, ever. That’s 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
In fact, tickets are moving so fast, state lottery officials are urging Mainers not to get too carried away as they attempt to to beat the 1-in-300-million odds of winning the top prize. But the overall proceeds from lotteries represent about a penny over total state revenues.
Grief said he expects more than $600 million in Powerball sales nationwide – that equals to 300 million tickets sold nationwide just for Wednesday. “I’d rather try anyway”, said Ray Newburg.
Cammie Kirkland, an employee at One Stop Wine & Spirits on West State of Franklin Road, said ticket sales usually reach a fever pitch the day before the drawing. Tuesday brought in over $325 million in sales.
Any player who matches the Powerball number wins $4.
“Where could it go from $1.5 billion?” Even people who nearly never “play the lottery” have been ignoring the astronomical odds and plopping down a few bucks for a shot at a fortune and dreaming of what they’d do with it.
The victor could opt for annual payments over about 30 years, or a one time lump sum of $930 million.
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This isn’t the first time Papa Joe, who has been a barber for almost 40 years, has bought tickets for his customers.
