The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.
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Maybe some lucky Powerball player will hit it big tonight and win the record jackpot, $1.5 billion as of late Tuesday. Officials increased the jackpot Monday from the initial estimate of $1.3 billion because of strong sales. Then he waited three hours to spend $20 on 10 tickets at a store that is among the nation’s busiest lottery retailers. States will only sell tickets online to their own residents.
Commuters drive past a sign showing the Powerball jackpot in Wednesday’s drawing is posted outside the Mobil Mart in Methuen, Mass., Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016.
While competition concerns prevent the lottery in Nevada, religious beliefs have posed a barrier in Alabama, Mississippi and Utah. Tell them no. If you are close to them, you already know who needs help and what they need. That means residents of states without Powerball are driving to neighboring states to play the lottery and probably spending money on gas, soda or doughnuts in the process.
Roughly 95 percent of Powerball tickets are computer-generated quick picks, so people’s favorite numbers aren’t really a factor. That could change this year because of Powerball, she explained, enabling the state to raise money to subsidize colleges or fix roads and bridges.
Biggs said her customers generally buy one or two tickets, but some people purchase up to $100 worth of tickets in an attempt to improve their chances.
Alaska has seen only minimal interest in creating a lottery.
An agency report found that given Alaska’s vast land area and small population, a lottery would probably not generate as much money as in other states.
If you buy your ticket through an online broker, you’ll be gambling in more ways than one.
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Multiple studies in states such as Texas, Connecticut, South Carolina and Minnesota have shown that the majority of people who play instant lotto games have a below-average income.
