Powerball Craze

As the Powerball value is going up, more and more people stand in line hoping to pick the right numbers for the jackpot. The Powerball is at an all time high at $1.3 billion, however no one seems to win. No one matched with the last 2 jackpot winning numbers.

In Hawthorne, hundreds of people wait outside the famous Bluebird Liquor store. The Bluebird Liquor store is known to be a lucky retailer for tickets because of previous winners who purchased tickets there.

However, winning the jackpot isn’t very likely. Jeffrey Miecznikows, an associate professor of biostatistics at the University of Buffalo in New York, claims the chance of winning is like flipping a coin and getting heads 28 times in a row.

The media adds to the Powerball craze, as the winners were invited to The Ellen Show. The multiple commercials, billboards, and advertisements also add to the increasing craze for the jackpot. Recently, a man from Orange County, Erik Bragg, photoshopped himself holding the “winning” ticket and posted it on Twitter and Instagram. Many people believed his photo and he gained popularity instantly (he received over 100,000 likes). Others claimed they won and set up giveaways. Many people entered their giveaways hoping to get part of their winnings.

Even with the unlikely chances of winning, people continue to stand in line and give up money hoping to be the lucky winner going home $1.3 billion richer, while others fall for scams and enter giveaways. Is it all really worth it?

How much is reasonable to spend on Powerball tickets?

$2-10
$15-45
$50-75
$100+

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