Mount Vernon Powerball Sales Steady As Prize Hits $550M

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – A few stragglers in the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon were filling out last-minute Powerball tickets as business owners said ticket sales remained steady on Wednesday.

Sales of Powerball tickets remained steady in Mount Vernon on Wednesday as the jackpot grew to $550 million.
Photo Credit: *Greg Maker*

by Greg Maker

11/28/2012 6:30 p.m.

With the jackpot rising to $550 million, the largest in the history of the game, which dates back to 1988, business owners said there wasn't a major rush to buy tickets but customer traffic remained constant throughout the day. The jackpot was up $50 million from Tuesday as more players entered the multistate lottery.

One business owner, who asked not to be identified, said that some people have bought tickets every day since the last drawing on Saturday, hoping to hit the jackpot.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 175,223,510, according to the Powerball website. By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning in any given year are estimated at 1 in 775,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Powerball drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m. Wednesday.

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