Item Photo By OWEN O’ROURKE
Dean Osmani bought his Powerball ticket at Lynnfield Street Market in Lynn for the $400 million drawing on Wednesday.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — With Wednesday’s Powerball drawing jackpot reaching an estimated $400 million, many are trying their luck with the Mass. State Lottery this week.
As is the case at the Lynnfield Street Market, said clerk Doug Werner.
“Things will pick up even more as we get closer,” Werner said. “Everybody wants to retire.”
Werner said that by noon Monday, the convenience store had already sold close to 50 tickets. He anticipated it would sell about 125 to 150 tickets by the end of the day.
“When (the jackpot) gets up this high, we see a lot more pools,” he said. “A lot of people do pools at work and will buy, say, 40 tickets.
“We typically don’t see too many people buying five or 10 at a time,” he said.
“The estimated jackpot is $400 million,” said Christian Teja, spokesperson for Mass Lottery. “Depending on the rate of sales in the next couple of days. Sales could be high and it’s possible that the estimated amount could increase.”
“This is getting up there,” he said. “I believe it’s one of the top 10 in powerball history.”
The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292 million, Teja said. The odds of getting all five numbers correct but not the powerball are 1 in 11.7 million. Those who get all five numbers correct but not the powerball number win a $1 million prize.
Since the Mass. Lottery began offering Powerball in 2010, there have been three jackpot winners in the state. The most recent, and largest, jackpot winner in Massachusetts was on Dec. 11, 2013 when Maureen Hinckley of Sterling won $61,450,000.
“There was a million dollar ticket sold in Saugus at Gateway Newstand at the Square One Mall in a September drawing,” Teja said.
“You have to be lucky to win,” said Steve Lekkakos of Peabody. “It’s not easy to win.”
Still, Lekkakos said he frequently plays the powerball.
So what would one do with $400 million in winnings? Customers at the Lynnfield Street Market had a few ideas.
“I would take care of my family,” said Darlene Moreschi of Lynn.
“I would take them on a vacation,” she said. “I’d probably ask my father where he wants to go. I lost my mother about seven years ago so I’d like to take care of him. He’s a sweetheart.
“I’d buy a big house for all of (my family) to live in,” Moreschi said.
Moreschi said the house would be big enough for her immediate family, nieces, nephews, and other family members to all live under one roof.
“I don’t usually play (the powerball) but I heard it’s high,” she said. “I probably play about twice a year. I do scratch tickets more than anything.”
Moreschi said if she has the time, she likes to play her Mother’s powerball numbers.
“If I win, I’d help a lot of people. That’s it.” said Lekkakos.
“I would help a lot of poor people for sure,” said Dean Osmani of Lynnfield.
“I already bought tickets for Wednesday’s (drawing),” he said. “It’s such a big jackpot.”
Teja said the powerball jackpot reaches over $300 million dollars about two to three times a year. This is the highest it has been since it reached $564.1 million in February 2015, he said.
“This is getting into the real high, highest of all time territory,” Teja said. “A jackpot of this magnitude generates considerable excitement and ticket sales.”
