As Powerball Jackpot Soars To Record $1.6B, Players Cross State Lines

ACROSS AMERICA — The Powerball jackpot for the Saturday, Nov. 5, drawing now stands at $1.6 billion, the largest prize in U.S. lottery history. Players in the majority of U.S. states have been flocking to lottery ticket vendors, but Loretta Williams had to drive across the state line to get her ticket.

Williams lives in Alabama, one of five states that doesn’t have a lottery game. The others are Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. A mix of reasons have kept them away, including objections from conservatives, concerns about the impact on low-income families or a desire not to compete with existing gaming operations.

“I think it’s ridiculous that we have to drive to get a lottery tickets,” Williams, 67, told The Associated Press.

Democratic legislator Chris England, from Tuscaloosa, thinks it’s ridiculous, too.

“I’m pretty sure the people of Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia appreciate all of our contributions to their roads, bridges, education system and many other things they spend that money on,” he told the AP.

Constituents lobby him weekly when the lawmakers will vote to approve the lottery, “especially when people look on TV and see it’s [more than] $1.5 billion dollars.

Utah residents who want lottery tickets have to drive to Idaho or Wyoming. Residents of Alaska and Hawaii have to buy their tickets on the mainland.

In Alaska, when oil prices slumped in recent years, legislative proposals to generate revenue through lottery games, including possibly Powerball, faltered. A 2015 report suggested annual proceeds from a statewide lottery could be around $8 million but cautioned such a lottery could negatively affect charitable gaming activities such as raffles.

Anchorage podcast host Keith Gibbons believes even though Alaska is extremely diverse — Anchorage School District students speak more than 100 languages besides English in their homes — offering Powerball would appeal to everyone.

“There’s a little bit of everybody here, and so when you bring things like that, it doesn’t just speak to our culture, it speaks to all cultures because everybody wants money, everybody wants to win, everybody wants to be part of the scene,” Gibbons said.

Not everyone agrees.

Bob Endsley is no fan of Powerball. He says Alaskans shouldn’t have the opportunity to buy tickets. “It’s a waste of money,” said Endsley, also finding fault with the taxes that have to be paid on winnings and the increasing jackpots.

Taking a break from shoveling snow off his sidewalk, the Anchorage man said he once won $10,000 in a Canadian lottery. But it was so long ago, he said, that he doesn’t remember what he did with the windfall other than “paid taxes.”

Hawaii joins Utah as the two states prohibiting all forms of gambling. Measures to establish a Hawaii state lottery or allow casinos are periodically introduced in the Legislature but routinely fail in committee.

Opponents say legalized gambling would disproportionately harm Hawaii’s low-income communities and encourage gambling addictions. Some argue the absence of casinos allows Hawaii to maintain its status as a family-friendly destination. Gambling is popular among Hawaii residents, however, with Las Vegas one of their top vacation destinations.

Wearing a University of Alabama cap, John Jones of Montgomery, Alabama, bought a Powerball ticket on Thursday in Georgia. He voted for an Alabama lottery in 1999 and said he hopes lawmakers there try again. A retired painter, Jones said he usually doesn't buy a lottery ticket, but decided to take a chance.

He said many Alabamians seem to be doing the same at the Georgia store. “I even met some friends over here,” said Jones, 67.

In 1999, Alabama voted down a lottery referendum under a mix of opposition from churches and out-of-state gambling interests. Lottery proposals have since stagnated in its legislature, the issue now intertwined with debate over electronic gambling.

About Powerball

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. ET on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The estimated jackpot eclipses 2016’s world record $1.586 million Powerball jackpot, split by players in California, Florida and Tennessee.

Winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or they may take a cash payout, which is estimated at $782.4 million for Saturday’s game. Nearly all winners choose cash.

Federal taxes would about $187.8 million of the cash prize. Most states also tax lottery winnings. California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming don’t tax lottery winnings.

The odds of winning are abysmal, about 1 in 292.2 million. Odds of winning any prize are better, 1 in 24.9.

A Powerball ticket costs $2. For an additional $1 per ticket, players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times with the Power Play feature. One caveat: The 10X multiplier is only available when the advertised jackpot annuity is $150 million or less.

To win the jackpot, a player must match all white balls in any order and the red Powerball number. Lottery officials say chances are higher when players don’t choose their own numbers. About 75 percent of winning tickets over the years were picked by a computer.

The jackpot has gone unclaimed since Aug. 3. If no one wins the jackpot Saturday, it will grow even larger for Monday’s Powerball drawing.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.