Lindsey Choler • For The Post • lc227007@ohiou.edu
Last Friday 14 local retailers started selling tickets for the Ohio Lottery's new multi-state game that gives players a chance to win a hefty jackpot.
Powerball, the newest lottery game in Ohio, offers players nine chances to win money, ranging from $3 to a multi-million-dollar jackpot. Ohioans bought more than $1 million in tickets on the first day of sales, said Jeannie Roberts, deputy director of the Ohio Lottery office of communications.
Powerball, which is drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays, had 20 winners Wednesday. About $2.5 million worth of Powerball tickets were sold within Ohio's first drawing cycle, she said.
The new game has attracted lottery players in Athens.
Some customers have switched from playing the Classic Lotto to Powerball. Much of the interest is probably because of the game's newness
said Melissa Cooper, a manager at Fruth Pharmacy, 8972 United Lane.
Cooper said the pharmacy sells a lot of lottery tickets mostly to local residents.
Draw days are usually the busiest. Some come in and just have the machine pick them. Others have set numbers they like to play she said.
Kristen Fortuna, an Ohio University sophomore studying math, frequently purchases lottery tickets, choosing her favorite numbers.
If it is a pick four or something like that I always play numbers with sevens in them because it is my lucky number she said.
At Seaman's Cardinal Super Market, 305 W. Union St., there has not been an increased demand for lottery tickets, said Jon Seaman, a co-owner.
About 85 percent of our lottery ticket sales are instant
he added.
Previously, Ohioans had only the option of playing the Mega Millions game, but a national convention for lottery directors changed all that, Roberts said.
Here in Ohio
we have one-stop shopping. Now they can buy both Mega Millions and Powerball
she said.
For each dollar spent on a ticket, 30 cents go to education funding in the state, 60 cents go to the winners, five-and-a-half cents go to retailers for bonuses and commission, and the remaining four-and-a-half cents pay for lottery operating funds, Roberts said.
The more money we make
the more we can send to the education budget
she added.
The possibility of winning millions is a major factor in why people play lottery games.
There are jackpot chasers. Some people won't even play until (the jackpot) gets into triple digits
Roberts said.
Both the Mega Millions and Powerball games draw in customers because of their potential for big jackpots, said Shane Pochard, communications manager for the Marathon Petroleum Company LLC.
All Speedway stores in Ohio participate in the Ohio Lottery games, he said. The Speedway franchise is owned by Marathon.
Last year Travis Ouellette, an OU student, won $250,000 with a Mega Millions ticket purchased from Speedway on East State Street, according to a previous article in The Post.
Tickets are sold and measured in increments. The Powerball tickets have not been sold for long enough to know if they have made a difference in our stores' tickets sales yet
Pochard added.
The Ohio Lottery advocates responsible lottery playing. Even though the odds are astronomical
the lottery should be viewed as entertainment, Roberts said,
I play mostly for fun and the feeling of surprise when I win
