After 16 years in the Heartland, Powerball is moving south.
The lottery game is moving its televised drawings from Iowa to Florida.
Florida decided to join the Multi-State Lottery Association last summer and offer the game in January. It's also getting a new look, new odds and a bigger jackpot.
Executive Director Chuck Strutt says details, including the location of a new studio, are still being worked out, but the first drawing from Florida is set for Jan. 7.
A new face is also coming to Powerball.
Veteran host Mike Pace says it's time for a change — for him and the game. His last drawing will be on New Year's Eve — from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Powerball is making a smart move. The term "Heartland" is such a misnomer. The real vibrancy of America has always been in its coastal regions.
The word "Heartland" refers to a central core, not necessarily the vibrant parts. Although many would say that "flyover country" is actually both.
I hope they have ball machines bought for the new matrix rather than computers!
At least we have good football!
It's not so bad out here (Oklahoma). And I hate that term heartland. I've traveled a lot and have come to the conclusion that people are much nicer here. It's almost funny how rude some people are on the east coast. If there were anything to see here I would tell you to come visit..... uhhh kidding there is plenty to see...
Yeah,Oklahoma has a McDonalds over the interstate.
Powerball doesn't use computers. It has ball drawings.
I sent an email to MUSL (Multi State Lottery) and asked them if they were going to continue having live draws as opposed to RNG draws.Here is their response to my email:
The Powerball will be live from Florida (same time on TV here). The
Powerball draw will still use the hard rubber balls in the gravity fed
draw machine though they will be new machines and new ball sets (hope
you are OK with that).
We are getting rid of the PowerPlay wheel and will use an RNG (one we
have built and had independently tested). It is based on quantum decay
of radio-active material in the machine. A Geiger counter measure the
protons and develops a TRUE random number from the unpredictable decay.
The Power Play number (2, 3, 4, or 5) will be drawn by this machine. You
can test the random behavior of that machine yourself through
observation.
Florida just announced on its site that "due to popular demand" they will begin televising live drawings again in some areas. The one in Fort Myers is only on Telemundo!
Justxploring,
Since you menationed copnspiracy theories in the other thread about Florida and PB, I'll say yhay if the first drawing in Florida produces a jackpot winner from Florida, well, that would be suspicious.
If it's a jackpot winner that purchased a ticket in Miami in a bodega in Little Havan, that would be really suspicious!
Thanks for posting their repsponse. You can always count on MUSL for clear, informative answers.
And typically, hilariously answers. I love their 'Real Letters' section.