Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.3B for Wednesday's drawing

The Texas Lottery Commission announced Saturday that the Powerball jackpot has now increased to $1.3 billion for Wednesday's drawing.

There were no winning tickets were sold in Saturday's $949.8 million drawing. The jackpot would have had a cash value of more than $558 million. The odds to win are one in 292.2 million.

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No one has matched all six numbers in one of the bi-weekly Powerball drawings since Nov. 7, 2015.

The jackpot is one of the biggest in U.S. history, which is why the Shell gas station near the Beltway 8 and Bellaire Boulevard saw a steady stream of players all day Saturday.  Among them was Caryn Waldon, who decided to play the Powerball for the very first time. 

“I've got dreams girl, I've got dreams,” Waldon said.

Other Houston hopefuls were getting pretty serious about the record jackpot.  One man stopped in to purchase $100 worth of tickets.  Another bought $234 worth of tickets for his co-workers at the office.

“Hopefully I can buy my mom a house,” said Eugene Cephas, who says his mom told him to buy some tickets Saturday, after learning about the jackpot. 

Dennis Johnson is feeling lucky.

"I bought $30 worth. If I win I'll take care of my kids, take care of the family," Johnson said.

But Johnson isn't the only one with a reason to smile. Big jackpots are a lottery retailer's dream come true. Lotto fever boots their bottom line. With an increase in the amount of customer traffic, Sam Chris has noticed more and more of them are making extra purchases, laying down their cash for things like snacks and other little odds and ends.

With so many people buying tickets for the jackpot, it really adds up.

"Cigarettes, coffee and chocolate. Even some times they buy beer as well," Chris said.

We're now into record territory with this weekend's jackpot. Your chances of winning are slim to none but if you win remember this: "Sign that ticket, put it away, go get a lawyer, go get a financial planner, you've got 180 days here in Texas to claim that prize," said Gary Grief with the Texas Lottery.

There are some things you also have to consider, like deciding whether to take installments or the lump sum. It's a choice Steve Hupp hopes he gets to make. He's buying tickets for his wife.

"She enjoys playing. We're putting $6 in the pot," Hupp said.

Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  If nobody wins Saturday night, the next drawing will be Wednesday night. 


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