MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – Powerball is almost here.
And the manager of the State Street Champlain Farms convenience store a few doors down from the Statehouse can’t wait.
“I had people coming in and asking about it last week,” said Manager Lisa Elliott.
She had to tell them, not yet. Tuesday.
She’s raring to go.
“I would love to sell the first winner,” Elliott said. “That would be so awesome.”
After years of waiting, Vermonters will get a chance to play Powerball in their home state on Tuesday when the state formally joins the multi-state lottery that is known for its $100 million jackpots.
It took a change in governor before Vermonters would be able to buy Powerball tickets without going to New Hampshire or any of the other 25 states and territories that participate.
After Tuesday lottery players will be able to buy Powerball tickets at any of the 550 or so stores across the state where lottery tickets are sold.
For the last week Vermonters have been hearing Powerball ads on radio stations across the state. The ads that say “The power is coming” will run for three weeks.
Vermont will be the 24th state as well as the District of Colombia and the U.S. Virgin Islands to belong to Powerball.
Last December a West Virginia man won a $314.9 million Powerball lottery, the largest single-winner jackpot in the history of the world, said Powerball spokesman Joe Mahoney.
No one won the $134 million in Saturday’s jackpot. It’s expected to reach $165 million by the next drawing on Wednesday.
“I am very fortunate I have a Megabucks machine. It will be one less reason for people to go over there,” said Rick Jacobs of Springfield, who owns two stores in the town along the New Hampshire border.
Jacobs was referring to the New Hampshire stores that were drawing customers away from him. Powerball will help keep his customers in Vermont.
Legislators tried almost every year for the past decade to join Powerball, but former Gov. Howard Dean was philosophically opposed to gambling and threatened to veto any law containing Powerball.
This year, with newly elected Gov. James Douglas in place, lawmakers approved joining Powerball. Vermont will be the fourth New England state to join the game.
Like the regular lottery games, Powerball profits are expected to generate an additional $3.2 million for the Vermont Education Fund in its first year.
Last year the Vermont Lottery contributed $16.8 million to the Education Fund.
It is estimated that Powerball will cut into sales for Vermont Tri-State Megabucks game, played with New Hampshire and Maine.
“We expect a decrease in megabucks sales by 16 to 23 percent but by taking that into account we estimate that the overall net increase will be in the neighborhood of $3.2 million,” said Vermont Lottery Director Alan Yandow.
Jacobs said the Lottery Commission had made the transition to the new game effortless, providing the signs and things needed to start the new game.
“The lottery commission is just great to work with,” Jacobs said. “They provide us with signage. They provide us with whatever we need. If every organization worked as smoothly as the Vermont lottery the whole state would be very fortunate.”
AP-ES-06-29-03 1027EDT
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