$1.5B US Powerball jackpot draws Ontarians to N.Y. state for tickets
Odds of matching all 6 numbers to win jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million
The $1.5-billion US Powerball jackpot is drawing crowds from Ontario to Ogdensburg, N.Y., for a chance to cash in on the record prize that continues to grow as ticket sales soar.
Not only will Wednesday's draw be for the biggest jackpot in the history of the world, but with the loonie falling below $0.70 U.S., that translates to an even bigger potential payout for Canadians — currently more than $2.1 billion Cdn.
Manager Tom Tracey says Canadians buying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Powerball?src=hash">#Powerball</a> tickets at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ogdensburg?src=hash">#Ogdensburg</a> Nice N Easy gas by the hundreds <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ottnews?src=hash">#ottnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/MinbLXMB0t">pic.twitter.com/MinbLXMB0t</a>
—@AshleyBurkeCBCTom Tracey, the manager of Nice N Easy gas in the U.S. border town, said Canadians are spending hundreds of dollars on tickets in some cases.
"They're just dropping it left and right. They don't even care," he said.
John Hendrikx said he was "not that desperate" for a ticket to drive down from Metcalfe, Ont., but he put an add on Kijiji hoping to piggyback on someone else's trip. He's still waiting for an offer.
"I thought it would be easy if somebody was going there anyways. You know, just pick me up a few and I'll reimburse," he said.
No one matched all six Powerball numbers Saturday night, leading to the enormous prize. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are one in 292.2 million, but Hendrikx said it's still worth a try.
"If you don't have a ticket, you can't win," he said.
with files from Associated Press