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Feeling Lucky? Ohioans Buy More Lottery Tickets as Jackpots Rise

JO INGLES
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU

Ohio Lottery officials report brisk sales at the state’s Mega Millions and Powerball retailers.

The Ohio Lottery’s Marie Kilbane says the jackpot for tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is $450 million and tomorrow’s Powerball jackpot is $550 million. She says higher jackpots mean more ticket sales.

“You know if these jackpots don’t hit, sales and interest will go through the roof. I would bet we will hit a billion dollars pretty soon in terms of jackpots. It’s a crazy time when the jackpots get this high,” she said.

Kilbane says there were about $3 million in Mega Millions sales just for the one drawing earlier this week and about $4.5 million for the Powerball.

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment. Jo started her career in Louisville, Kentucky in the mid 80’s when she helped produce a televised presidential debate for ABC News, worked for a creative services company and served as a general assignment report for a commercial radio station. In 1989, she returned back to her native Ohio to work at the WOSU Stations in Columbus where she began a long resume in public radio.