YORK, Pa. — At gas stations and grocery stores across Pennsylvania, the sound of ticket machines rang all day ahead of Monday night’s Powerball drawing.
It’s the third-largest prize on record. The jackpot was last hit nearly three months ago and a massive pot has lottery fever boiling hot.
As of Monday night, the Powerball was worth around $900 million.
“I hope we win!” said one couple at the Royal Farms on Concord Road in Springettsbury, York County.
Don Dupree stood patiently behind them. It’s not every day the Shrewsbury resident goes for the jackpot.
“I mainly do scratch-offs,” Dupree said. “But with this amount, I got 19 grandkids. So I figure if I win, boom, they’re all set.”
And based on the odds, it’s not a bad bet.
“Like they say, ‘If you don’t play, you can’t win,” he reasoned.
The Keystone State cracks the top five for the number of Powerball jackpot winners. While there might be a bit of luck involved, Pa. Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko says it’s a numbers game.
“We’re the sixth largest in population, so we sell a lot more tickets to a lot more people,” Svitko said.
Nearly 5,000 tickets being sold every minute means more money for the state.
“Benefits older Pennsylvanians every day isn’t just a tagline; it’s why we do what we do,” Svitko said. “The profits from Pennsylvania lottery sales, Powerball sales, and all of our other games help fund critical life-saving programs.”
This includes things like prescription medical coverage, rent rebate programs, and Meals on Wheels, just to name a few.
Hopes were high hours before Monday’s drawing.
“Me and my brother both play the Powerball every week and the Mega Millions,” John Highfield of Lebanon said. “[We] figured one of these times we’ll get lucky and win it, especially since it’s high.”
And if Dupree isn’t just keeping his grandkids in mind if he hits it big
“I mean, I’ll do a little bit for me,” Dupree said. “If you take the lump sum, that’s fantastic.”
As of Monday night, the cash option after taxes in Pennsylvania is more than $278 million dollars according to USAmega.com. If you take the 30-year payment option, it will end up being more than $540 million dollars.
Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing will also give a big payout if someone wins, with the pot at $640 million dollars.