$70 MILLION LOTTERY JACKPOT CREATING HUGE TICKET SALES

Jim Perkins of Cape Girardeau doesn't make it a practice of buying lottery tickets.

"This is only the second time I have ever bought lottery tickets," said Parker, who stopped at Del Farm National Supermarket in Cape Girardeau Friday afternoon to purchase a couple of Powerball tickets. "The first time was about two years ago when the Illinois Lottery hit the $50 million mark."

The estimated $70 million Saturday jackpot is the second highest ever for the multistate lottery, which failed to produce a winner in Wednesday's drawing.

"There's some long odds there -- lottery officials estimate the odds at one in 55 million," said Jerry Kennedy, an Illinois Department of Corrections worker. "But you also have a chance to win some of the smaller cash prizes. I've won $100 on a couple of occasions."

Parker and Kennedy are just two of the millions of Americans who have made stops at supermarkets, convenience stores and other outlets to purchase the Powerball tickets since Wednesday.

"We've had a steady stream of Powerball ticket buyers," said Tammy Martin of Del Farm. "And this is only Friday. You'll probably be seeing some lines here Saturday."

Powerball sales end for the week at 7:59 p.m. today.

Martin will be among those purchasing tickets.

"I buy them on occasion," she said. "And with the jackpot this big, this is one of those occasions."

Big sales are not limited to big stores.

"A lot of people are stopping at our place," said Dolores Swafford, manager of Kwik Pantry, 1401 Independence. "When the jackpots get up in double-digit millions, your sales will just about double on it. Any time a lottery jackpot gets big, sales are big."

One young man, who refused to be identified, purchased a number of Powerball tickets.

"I want five on this one, two on another, three on yet another, and five single number tickets," he said. "I'm picking up tickets for everyone at the office."

Another anonymous purchaser bought 100 tickets.

"We all chipped in at the office and will share any winnings," he said

Meanwhile, Emily Glastetter of New Hamburg purchased Powerball tickets for herself.

"I usually buy Powerball and lottery tickets each week," she said. "But this week, I'm buying all Powerball."

To play Powerball, a person must select five numbers between 1 and 45, and one additional number between 1 and 45 as the Powerball.

Players can win nine ways on Powerball, ranging from $1 to the jackpot. If the Powerball number matches the Powerball number that is drawn, the player wins a prize. Without the Powerball number, a player needs at least three of the other five numbers to win a prize.

Powerball tickets are sold in 14 states -- Missouri, Iowa, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin -- and Washington, D.C.

The highest Powerball payout came in July of this year when a school teacher matched all five numbers and the Powerball to win $111.2 million.

There was no complete match Wednesday, when the jackpot was worth $54 million.

But all players of the game didn't go home empty handed. Seven ticket holders matched the first five numbers -- 9, 26, 39, 43 and 45 -- good for $100,000 each. The Powerball number was 40.

A total of 520,179 tickets paid out a total of $2,692,977.

The $70 million jackpot is especially attracting attention in Wisconsin.

The Fond du Lac, Wis., supermarket that sold last summer's record-setting ticket to teacher Leslie Robins is attracting customers from throughout the nation. Clerks at the Sentry Foods customer service counter informally asked buyers where they were from, keeping a register that showed nearly 40 states.

The store sits in an area called the "Miracle Mile" because stores there have sold winning tickets for jackpots of $111 million, $21 million and $20 million.