Jackpot climbs to $1.4 billion

“We’ve never been at these levels”, said Grief, whose state lottery is part of the Multi-State Lottery Association that runs Powerball. You’ve got to be financially responsible yourself. Winners can also choose the cash prize, which is the total amount now up for grabs, but that is “only” $868 million.

Walsh said that he does not know the identity of the victor, and may not know immediately since Maryland rules dictate that the victor has to claim the prize at the state’s lottery headquarters in Baltimore.

The executive director of the Texas Lottery trumpeted the big jackpot over the weekend, but urged those hoping to hit it big not to spend more than they can afford.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik). Jessie Mercado of Lincoln displays the numbers he wrote on a paper napkin, which he hopes will win the Powerball jackpot, at a convenience store in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. And after deducting a 5 percent state tax, that pot would be reduced to about $608 million – though it could be more or less, depending on the state. The new system changed the odds from 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292.2 million.

The jackpot has ballooned since its November 4 starting point of $40 million and spurred huge ticket sales.

People will go to extremes for a chance at easy money.

Another big advantage of the annuity versus the lump sum – besides the fact that you’ll collect millions of dollars more – is that you can’t blow all the winnings as fast.

Instead, they’re second-place winners.

That has made some people uneasy about so much money going to one person when it might be better spent on public needs. After 20 years of buying tickets, one he bought at the Murphy USA in Boiling Springs won him $150,000. You’d end up taking home more in this state than others.