SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Central New York businesses are seeing an uptick in lottery ticket purchases in the last week thanks to the growing Powerball jackpot.
The objective of Powerball, the American lottery game played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is to match five white balls and a red Powerball number. Do this and you’ve won the jackpot.
There are eight other ways to win a prize in Powerball too; you just won’t be walking away with $685 million dollars.
The lottery can be played almost anywhere, but distributors are typically found in gas stations, liquor stores and supermarkets.
Sunoco gas station clerk, Haithm Albadani, noticed an increase in lottery ticket sales.
“Yep. A lot of Powerball [players],” said Albadani. “A lot of people are coming in and spend a lot of money on Powerball.”
Sam Saad, owner of Lucky 7 Liquor & Wine & Lottery, shared the same sentiment.
“Everybody, just more coming in,” said Saad. “Everybody is hoping, you know, to get the big millions.”
The odds of winning the jackpot Monday night are one in 292 million, but one can’t help but to think about what they would do with all that loose change at their disposal.
“I would do a lot,” said Saad. “I don’t know, expand [my business] more, buy more business and make Syracuse nicer and help people overseas who need it.
“Obviously I’d set myself and my family up for life,” said Michael Shepherd, a student at Syracuse University. “I don’t even know if I can spend that much money in my lifetime. Maybe I’ll indulge and get a boat, yacht or something.”
It’s a gamble playing the lottery, but underneath all the uncertainty and mystery, there’s one constant.
Since 1967, the New York Lottery has collected $75.07 billion in support of education state wide. This is done through the Lottery Aid-to-Education fund, dispersed by the State Education Department as “Lottery Aid”.
According to the New York State Gaming Commission, in the 2020-2021 fiscal year alone, $3.59 billion dollars were divvied and granted to K through 12-year schools across New York State. Out of that $3.59 billion, Onondaga County schools were granted $117,022,329.61 in lottery aid. Additionally, $61,700,606.53 was given to Oneida County schools, $15,196,363.05 to Cayuga Country schools and $35,082,775.02 to Oswego County Schools.
40 Powerball games have come and went with no big winner. Will game number 41 be someone’s lucky day?
The Powerball drawing will take place Monday, Oct. 5 at 10:59 p.m.
Update: Monday night’s winning numbers are: 12, 22, 54, 66, 69. The Powerball is 15 and the Powerplay is 2x.
The winning Powerball jackpot ticket , totaling $699 million, was sold in California.
