LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Lottery has been going strong for more than 50 years. The Keystone State picked up Powerball in 2002.
Monday's Powerball jackpot, which is now offered in 46 out of 50 states, stands at $1.9 billion.
That amount of money has kept people coming in and out all day long at Anthracite Newsstand in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
"Now, if you get ten and you win a hundred dollars, that's a thousand dollars. Who wouldn't want a thousand dollars," said Ann Marie Bossard, Anthracite Newsstand.
Ann Marie Bossard is one of the owners of the Newsstand that sits just off the square in downtown Wilkesbarre.
Bossard says this place started selling tickets back in 1971, the same year the Pennsylvania Lottery was created.
Back then, a single lottery ticket was 50 cents and had weekly drawings for a $50,000 top prize and periodic drawings for $1 million prizes.
"It was almost like a raffle ticket you get from a church. It was the baker's dozen, and then there was a fifty-fifty ticket, and it wasn't anything at all like they are today," said Bossard.
One of the biggest Pennsylvania Lottery moments was back in 1989.
Back then, Newswatch 16 reported how people lined up around the block for a chance at a $115.5 million jackpot.
"Inside the store, there's no ticket limits. Many are here ordering super seven tickets; what some thought would be a quick trip to Pennsylvania has turned into a long-term commitment.
Monday night's prize will be 17 times larger than that.
Although there's no line out the door, Bossard says this Powerball jackpot has more people playing than ever.
"It's more exciting now that it is what it is with the Powerball and the power play and all. This is what people want. People want them up in the millions and the billions that what people want," said Bossard.
If no one claims Monday night's record-setting Powerball, the next drawing on Wednesday would a see jackpot of over $2 billion.
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