As of Wednesday afternoon, the interstate Powerball lottery has reached a total of $550 million – the second largest lotto jackpot in history. This amount has caught the eyes (and wallets) of many.
First-time players and regulars alike are dreaming of what they would do with the winnings if they draw the lucky numbers. KUT News spoke with one Powerball player, Abbie Garcia, who had an easy attitude: “When you win the lottery it leaks through your fingers anyway, so I wouldn’t want to be too caught up in trying to hold onto it.”
Many players have practical hopes of quitting their daytime jobs, paying off debts, sending their kids to college, vacationing in Europe, etc. But when it comes to pipe dreams, a half-billion dollar jackpot permits endless fantasizing.
Over on Reddit, users have even dedicated a subreddit page to lotto fantasies. Ideas include: rescuing all stray dogs, genetically creating a dinosaurs for a pet … even buying some fancy bacon from Whole Foods.
Some so-called strategists have pitched ways to increase your odds. One seven-time lottery winner has even written a book titled “Learn How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery.” But most players are choosing their numbers randomly or sentimentally: children’s birthdays, parent’s birthday’s, anniversary dates and the like. Either way, the odds of winning the jackpot is one in over 175 million.
The drawing will be 9:59 p.m. CST tonight. You can watch the drawing live.
