$1.9 billion. That’s the largest number the Powerball Lottery has ever seen in its nearly thirty-year history. It’s a prize so big, the digits only register as 999 on signs outside of corner stores. Here in Syracuse, the prospect of capturing that much cash has everyone catching lottery fever. Mr. Orange Market owner Omer Hager says people have been buying lotto tickets like it’s going out of style.
“Oh, the crazy people, they spend a lot of money for this, a lot of money,” Hager said.
It’s certainly the type of money that could drive people crazy; taking a lump-sum cash payment would net you over $900 million. For Syracuse University junior Nick Testani, that kind of dough could be used to fulfill lifelong dreams.
“Oh God I have no idea. You could probably buy, like what, a hockey team I’d imagine,” Testani said. “You know, you could probably get in on some of that. I don’t know about a football team but you could buy a hockey team, that’d be exciting.”
Testani has experience as both a buyer and seller of lottery tickets. When he’s not in school, he works as a cashier at Wegman’s. When the Powerball went over a billion dollars last year, Testani says the store was packed with Powerball players.
“It was crazy. I remember, January of 2021 it was up there so people start coming in all the time, big lines are coming up, the sign doesn’t have a space for a billion dollars so it just says $999 million,” Testani said.
There will be another Powerball drawing held tonight when one lucky person could match all six numbers and claim the biggest jackpot in American history. For now, though, we just have to wait and see how much larger the prize can get.
