Wednesday’s jackpot has climbed to a whopping $1.4 billion.
The chance to win big is attracting a lot of new players to game, while hopeful returning customers are praying their luck will pan out.
“This is not a winner,” customer Margo Stammers said as she checked Saturday’s Powerball ticket. “I’m waiting on the big jackpot tomorrow. I’m hoping I’ll win something.”
Since 2003, Pennsylvania has sold 16 winning jackpot Powerball tickets, the most in the entire country. Wisconsin only sold five winning tickets during that time frame.
However, some Wisconsin stores have been known to sell winning tickets.
On Saturday, a customer won $350,000 on the SuperCash! Drawing at the Mobile gas station on Green Bay Road in Kenosha.
“I try to play twice a week and mix it up where I get tickets from,” customer Kevin Frye said.
$1.4 billion is enough to give every American roughly $5.
However, the chance of you winning the jackpot is tougher than ever before. The lottery recently changed the game, increasing the first set of numbers from 59 to 69, while decreasing the second set of numbers from 35 to 26.
While your chance of winning any amount of money has increased, the odds of winning the jackpot jumped from 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292 million.
Despite the odds, people are already planning what they’d do with the money if they win.
“I’d take care of my family like everyone else and I would help out a lot of charities,” Frye said.
A concerned player contacted TODAY'S TMJ4 about store clerks pre-printing Powerball tickets prior to customers purchasing them. A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Lottery says this is not illegal, but rather common when convenience stores get flooded with customers.
However, you do have the right to request the store clerk issue you a “new” ticket at the time of purchase.
Lottery background information:
Retail stores that sold the most lottery tickets last week statewide:
- Korneli's Main Street Express at 506 S. Main St. – Fond du Lac
- Durand Avenue Mart at 3900 Durand Ave. – Racine
- Kwik Trip at 9535 S. 13th St. – Oak Creek
Property tax relief since September 1988:
- More than $3.87 billion in property tax relief for homeowners
- More than $7.14 billion in prizes for players
- $766 million in commissions for Wisconsin businesses
