Strong sales across the nation, including Delaware, continue to fuel a record Powerball jackpot.
The prize for Saturday night’s drawing has ballooned to $900 million, and officials say the biggest lottery prize in U.S history could grow even more before the winning numbers are drawn.
Delaware Lottery Director Vernon Kirk says First State Powerball sales are building and he expects could be “a little crazy” tomorrow.
Friday alone before noon over 600,000 tickets were sold in Delaware. By comparison, about 1.5 million tickets were sold during the three days before Wednesday night’s drawing for a possible $450 million prize.
Kirk adds there’s also benefits for the state beyond the sales themselves.
“We see a little bump in some other lottery products," said Kirk. "And of course the retailers see bumps in impulse buys from their places also. So, it’s kind of a win-win situation.”
Delaware has not had a Powerball winner since May 2013 when an anonymous ticket holder split a $50 million jackpot.
The odds of winning are 1 in 292 million, so Kirk urges people to play responsibly. And if you some how beat the odds, Kirk has some advice about claiming your jackpot.
“We certainly advise them to consult either with some sort of tax attorney or accountant or an attorney or both before they show up so they have a clear understanding of what they want to do, how they want to claim it – do they want the lump sum, do they want the annuitized version?" said Kirk. "We certainly want people to get some sort of advice. Take your time. You have plenty of time to come in and claim the ticket.”
A single winner can take the $800 million paid over 30 years or a lump sum payment of $496 million. And Delaware is one of a few states where a winner can remain anonymous
The previous largest lottery prize was a Mega Millions jackpot of $656 million in 2012.
Powerball is played in 44 states – including Delaware - as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
