Powerball lottery sales, starting this morning, going smoothly

Comment #23

CASH Only — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 21:09:50 GMT

I'm glad to her PB got off to a strong start in OK. I doubt my Okie friends played however.

Comment #22

wreakshavok777 — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 04:01:02 GMT

Comment #21

mylollipop — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:26:25 GMT

All states need a lotto.

Comment #20

ryanm — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:06:05 GMT

When all those jackpots were won last year, they were barely out of the guaranteed range. Powerball was lucky the jackpots were hit every third drawing instead of every other drawing or every drawing. While Powerball's guaranteed cash jackpots are $7.3 million, in reality, they sell only enough to fund a $4.3 million cash jackpot at that level, assuming 30.28855% of sales goes toward the jackpot. They only guarantee minimum jackpots and minimum rollovers because they don't expect those jackpot... [ More ]

Comment #19

Uncle Jim — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 06:46:34 GMT

@ryanm:I'm not so sure you are correct when you say they would be out of business. Powerball has a minimum annuity jackpot of $15 million. At a cash value of less than 50% that's still $7 million. Even if you paid the maximum amount of Federal withholding (35%) and a state tax of 5% (Indiana's is 3.4%) that is a total of 40% or $2.8 million leaving a balance of $4.2 million.And they are still generating revenue for the states at that. If I remember correctly 29 cents of every sales dollar go... [ More ]

Comment #18

ryanm — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 04:06:36 GMT

I would like games with easier odds and minimum jackpots of $4 million cash after taxes as well, but in reality, no game would sell enough tickets to justify that. If Powerball and Mega Millions got hit every drawing, they'd be out of business, and you can't win a lottery that's out of business.

Comment #17

justxploring — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 01:13:35 GMT

I agree. Even with Oklahoma, the combined population of all of the Powerball states is still a lot lower than the combined population of all the Mega Millions states when that game's odds were only 1 in 135 million. Heck, even with North Carolina joining Powerball later this year, its current odds will still be appropriate for the population. I think Powerball jumped the gun on its latest matrix change. Sorry, I know I already posted a comment on this topic, but when I read only 1 in 135 millio... [ More ]

Comment #16

ryanm — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:23:23 GMT

Comment #15

BigOkie — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 19:29:35 GMT

I do know that last night before I went to the hockey game in Tulsa I had to stop at one of the local Quik Trips (about 635pm central) and the madhouse there was more than I expected, espcially more than a full hour before cutoff. Two lines, about eight in each line, and every one of em buying PB tickets. I remember back in 94 when OK became the first state in the union to vote down a lottery. About time Okies were contributing to their own pool instead of other states.My brother won $4 dolla... [ More ]

Comment #14

wreakshavok777 — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 06:08:40 GMT

congrats to oklahoma 40,927 people in the money matrix..second only to the keystone state with winners! proof to all the people who said oklahoma wouldn't support the lottery!! WTG

Comment #13

mylollipop — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 04:22:12 GMT

Celebrate good times, YAHOO! Come on! Wish we had an all states lotto with a Monday Drawing

Comment #12

justxploring — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 01:21:23 GMT

I'm sorry but I just don't undersand that attitude. And I don't understand the obsession with record jackpots. I'd be thrilled to win a paltry $15 million jackpot anyday. I'd take the less than 50% cash value they're now offering and say adios muchachos to the world! In the vernacular of the 80s, RIGHT ON, BROTHER! (or was that the 70s? 60s?...it's all a blurr) I used to hope Florida would get PB or MM, but I spend enough on the State games as it is. Tonight Lotto is $35 million. Average lum... [ More ]

Comment #11

dvdiva — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 06:00:37 GMT

Well you could always take the blue pill .............

Comment #10

wreakshavok777 — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 05:14:49 GMT

Yeah I think it would be a riot if some okie had that winning kansas jackpot ticket in their hot lil hands....like me hehe The best of luck to everyone who plays powerball on this Full moon draw

Comment #9

Uncle Jim — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 03:22:21 GMT

Increase the matrix! Bite your tongue! Perish the thought! No way! Leave the damn matrix alone! Despite the whining we heard from Powerball last year about a record number of winners...it's already hard enough to win anything significant!I'm sorry but I just don't undersand that attitude. And I don't understand the obsession with record jackpots. I'd be thrilled to win a paltry $15 million jackpot anyday. I'd take the less than 50% cash value they're now offering and say adios muchachos... [ More ]

Comment #8

CASH Only — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 00:14:11 GMT

Sooner , eh

Comment #7

whitmansm2 — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:45:40 GMT

I'm thinking KS is going to win soon! I don't think we've ever won a jackpot, but it'll piss OK off. Specially if it was a store on the border that sells the winning ticket.OK that sounded harsh.....I really DO wish everyone the best of luck....but I STILL think it would be funny.::going back to my corner now

Comment #6

Just6ntlc — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:24:55 GMT

If more people buy PB tickets, especially in OK, the more likely a PB jackpot grand prize will win sooner. In that case, people will win more smaller jackpots before it hits PB records. I think PB should have increased their matrix odds. Instead of 5/55+1/42, I would have suggested 5/55+1/45 or 5/55+1/50.

Comment #5

CASH Only — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:04:44 GMT

I say it will take 8-9 years for OK to get its first PB winner, since every few years the jackpot odds are changed.

Comment #4

LOTTOMIKE — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:45:59 GMT

lets hope tennessee gets another jackpot winner soon......

Comment #3

CASH Only — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 00:05:44 GMT

The record $340 million PB jackpot was actually in mid-October, during my Oklahoma-California trip.

Comment #2

Chewie — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 23:55:43 GMT

More money in, more money out. Hopefully, more often. Ten winners a year should make every player happy. More winners, the better the chance of it being you - fewer winners are self defeating. Hoping for $100M for one person, or $30M for 10 winners will always be better.

Comment #1

Phokas — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 22:52:48 GMT

Increasing the number of players only increases the chance of someone else winning the grand prize. With fixed odds and fixed incremental rollover amounts to the jackpot there seems to be little benefit in adding more and more states to the game after a certain point.

Powerball lottery sales, starting this morning, going smoothly

Lottery Post — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:50:48 GMT

The wait is over for Oklahomans eager to try their luck playing Powerball or tired of driving to neighboring states to play.Oklahoma joined 27 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands today in what has become one of the most popular lottery games in the world, because of the size of its jackpots the jackpot hit an all-time high of $340 million in early November.Tickets went on sale at 4:01 a.m. today for the next drawing on Saturday. A drawing worth an estimated $65 million... [ More ]