POWERBALL FEVER: JACKPOT APPROACHES U.S. RECORD

So, you're going to purchase a Powerball ticket?

Join the crowd!

And, a huge crowd it is these days.

The Powerball jackpot has jumped to gigantic proportions -- $250 million, the highest lottery jackpot ever in the United States -- and almost everybody wants in on the action.

Powerball lottery ticket sellers are preparing for the hysteria expected to accompany the Wednesday drawing, calling in extra workers and establishing additional ticket machines.

The buying started Sunday and will continue through 8:59 p.m. Wednesday, a hour before the 9:59 p.m. drawing, to be held in Des Moines, Iowa.

Only one lottery game, worldwide, has ever had a bigger purse. Last year's Christmas lottery drawing in Spain -- named "El Gordo," or "the Fat One" -- had a $270 million purse, but the grand prize was only $2 million.

Powerball, a multi-state lottery, is available in 20 states and Washington, D.C. Missouri joined the game in 1992.

Crowds of customers from non-Powerball states pack into border grocery stores and gas stations everywhere to try and beat Powerball's 80 million-to-1 odds (a total of 80,098,129 combinations).

In Greenwich, Conn., just outside New York state which doesn't have Powerball, buyers were lined up from 100 to 200 people long Sunday at a number of vendors. One vendor said people waited as long as eight hours in line to buy tickets there. Longer crowds are expected as Wednesday's drawing nears.

In Indiana, Hoosier Lottery officials have delivered extra terminals to lottery retailers in cities near the Ohio, Michigan and Illinois state lines.

The week ending May 23 was the highest week of ticket sales in Missouri Lottery history. Tickets totalling $18.6 million were sold when the jackpot was at $195 million. Since then, Missouri has sold $23.4 million, going into this week.

Almost everybody is buying Powerball tickets, said Mikie Seabaugh, at Rhodes 101 Stop at 1008 N. Kingshighway, one of the top-selling Missouri Lottery vendors.

Sales are jumping at the service station-convenience store this week. About 600 tickets were sold Tuesday morning. Last Tuesday, 512 tickets were sold during the entire day.

About every other customer has been buying Powerball tickets.

Customers purchasing 100 tickets have not been unusual in the past two weeks, said Seabaugh. "There's a lot of Powerball pools."

Many of the "pool" players are taking the "cash option," which means that players can take roughly half of the advertised amount in one lump sum.

Wednesday's cash option would bring a single player about $150 million in one payment, minus taxes.

Without the cash option, a single winner will receive about $10 million a year over the next 25 years.

The lottery withholds 32 percent prize for taxes -- 28 percent of the prize in federal taxes and 4 percent for state taxes.

With the increased sales in Powerball, lottery sales in Missouri also have reached record proportions.

"We're looking at more than $494 million in lottery sales for fiscal 1998," said Shelly Perez, of the Missouri Lottery office in Jefferson City. That would surpass the previous record year by more than $70 million.

Missouri lottery ticket sales -- Lotto, Pick 3, Show Me 5, Powerball, scratch-off and pull tabs -- totaled a record $422.5 million in 1996.

Powerball ticket sales were down in Missouri in 1997 to $76.1 million. So far this year, sales have topped the $101 million mark, nearing the record Powerball sales of $106.8 million in 1995.

Missouri has ranked from one to three during past few years of Powerball sales.

"We have been at No. 1 and No. 2 this year," said Perez. "Right now, Connecticut, Missouri and Indiana are the top three Powerball sales.

Missouri is also ranked second in Powerball winners, since it joined the Powerball system in 1992. More than $330 million in Powerball jackpots have been won by 13 winners during the past six years. The largest haul for a Missouri winner came in November 1995, $69 million by Jerry Sue Huellewig of St. Charles.

In Powerball, players choose five white numbered balls from a pool of 49 and a red Powerball from a pool of 42. The game is overseen by the West Des Moines-based Multi-State Lottery Association.

Tickets for the game are sold in Washington, D.C., Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

A single winner will make Uncle Sam happy. Income taxes will claim from $50 million to $75 million (depending on cash option or annuity option) of the total take.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

A QUESTION OF LUCK

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot is estimated near $250 million, the largest in the United States.

If one winner takes all, he or she will receive about $10 million before taxes each year for the next 25 years.

That translate to:

$833,333 a month

or $192,308 a week

or $27,397 a day

or $1,141 an hour

or $19.03 a minute

or 63 cents a second

The lottery withholds 28 percent federal 4 percent state taxes for a total 32 percent withholding.

Since Nov. 2, winners can select a one-time lump sum. Wednesday's cash option, which must be selected when the ticket is purchased, would bring a single player about $150 million, minus taxes.

Of the 21 lotteries that participate in Powerball, Missouri ranks second in terms of winners with 13.

The last Powerball winner came from Missouri. Forty-four co-workers in Independence split a cash pay out of $5.4 million.

Only one of the Missouri winners was from Southeast Missouri. Joetta Burke of Poplar Bluff won $31.1 million in August 1993.

Out of 94 Powerball jackpots, only 11 were shared; 82 were won by a single ticket holder.

The 21 participating lotteries are:

Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhodes Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

The top three states for ticket sales are typically Connecticut, Missouri and Indiana.

About 70 percent of the winners use the computer-pick option. Other winners use special dates. One winners used his lucky numbers suggested by a fortune cookie.

5 of 5 plus Powerball

5 of 5 no Powerball

4 of 5 plus Powerball

4 of 5 no Powerball

3 of 5 plus Powerball

3 of 5 no Powerball

2 of 5 plus Powerball

1 of 5 plus Powerball

0 of 5 plus Powerball

Jackpot

$100,000

$5,000

$100

$100

$7

$7

$4

$3

1 in 80,089,128

1 in 1,953,393

1 in 364,041

1 in 8,879

1 in 8,466

1 in 206

1 in 605

1 in 118

1 in 74

Only one Powerball state, Delaware, permits winners to remain anonymous

What would you do with $250 million? Answer our Lottery Question at www.semissourian.com