Marylanders hope to win $750 million Powerball
No one won last weekend's Powerball drawing, which means Wednesday night's jackpot has grown to $750 million. If you take the cash option, that's $465 million.
"(It's the) fourth largest jackpot ever: $750 million. Hard to get your mind around a number that big," said Gordon Medenica, director the Maryland Lottery.
Wednesday's Powerball jackpot means big business for area retailers who sell tickets, such as the 7-Eleven on York Road in Timonium. Traffic has been steady, at times with lines out the door.
Ticket buyer Mike Roark said if he wins, he would donate some of the money to churches and the needy. He would also give some to his family.
Maryland is one of the few states that allows winners to stay anonymous.
"The first thing anybody should do is sign the ticket. It's like a $750 million bill, so sign it right away," Medenica said.
The biggest jackpot ever, totaling $1.6 billion was claimed in South Carolina earlier this month.
The winning store gets a cut and the state gets the taxes, so Medenica is hoping for a big winner in Maryland.
"It's great for the business. It's great for all causes that we raise money for, so we love it on our end just as much as anyone who might be a winner might be," Medenica said.