MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Attention lottery players: Powerball tickets will be doubling in price, but that means bigger jackpots, too.
Powerball ticket prices go up to $2 starting Jan. 15.
The way numbers are picked will also change slightly, so the chance of winning some kind of prize will go from 1 in 35 now to about 1 in 32.
The payouts are also going up. The starting jackpot will rise from $20 to $40 million. The odds of winning that jackpot will increase to 1 in 175 million.
Players who match the five white balls, but not the Powerball, will now win $1 million instead of $200,000.
The Minnesota lottery contributes about 25 percent of its profits to support things like education, health care and local government aid.
21 Comments
If the lottery contributes 25% of profits to education, health care and local government aid – where does the other 75% go?!??
January 2, 2012 at 9:17 am | | Report comment
uhhhhh….they do pay out some prizes.
January 2, 2012 at 9:41 am | | Report comment
That would be much of their operating expenses, but it wouldn’t be a percent of the profit, which is what Pam Frantz asked about.
January 2, 2012 at 9:55 am | | Report comment
http://www.lottery.state.mn.us/moneygo.html
Read up here.
January 2, 2012 at 10:20 am | | Report comment
Why was it necessary to triple the power play? It makes no since to me. You are raking in more and paying out less money to the people who support the lottery.
January 23, 2012 at 8:06 pm | | Report comment
Keep buying tickets people, most people look forward to their retirement with the golden ticket in hand. Has anyone ever seen the odds in Powerball? I agree you need a ticket to win but 171,144,899 to 1 is staggering.
Good Luck!
January 2, 2012 at 10:36 am | | Report comment
With the cost of living going up daily, I guess, so must PowerBall increase its prices to make up for the folks who no longer play due to the economy. Besides, the $2 new lottery ticket price is better spent on living expenses than the lottery. There is a better return on the money spent.
Remember, everyday spent living life above ground [not 6 feet underground] is winning the lottery of life. I like those ‘living’ odds versus PowerBall’s 1-in zillions odds to win the big Kahuna money prize. I save my hard earn money that way.
January 2, 2012 at 11:58 am | | Report comment
Almost like paying taxes right?
Giving your hard earned money to those who do not deserve it?
January 2, 2012 at 1:23 pm | | Report comment
All I want to know is why? What is the point? Stupid.
January 2, 2012 at 1:54 pm | | Report comment
@sandy
You ask good stupid questions
January 2, 2012 at 3:58 pm | | Report comment
Really, because all of those who “hope to catch” their one and rare shot at some dough be it a chance in he@@, with barely a dime in their misguided pocket already will shell out $2 now instead of $1? Makes perfectly good sense to me.
January 2, 2012 at 7:48 pm | | Report comment
THAT SUCKS BIG TIME!
January 2, 2012 at 2:32 pm | | Report comment
It’s not so bad plunking down one dollar, but two dollars? I’ll be playing it a whole lot less now. Thanks for nothing.
January 2, 2012 at 4:11 pm | | Report comment
If they want to sell more tickets keep it at $1, and give 10 $2million prizes away rather than 20million to 1 person, only a fool needs 20mill, any person with a brain can live off 2 million buy investing half of it.
January 2, 2012 at 5:25 pm | | Report comment
After taxes thats 1.3 million, more than enough if you live modest.
January 2, 2012 at 5:28 pm | | Report comment
Over 30 years ago the Lotto monies were to benefit education. We all know that never happened. Where did the moneies go? Do you even know? Someone’s pocket but not the children.
January 3, 2012 at 2:05 pm | | Report comment
That Sucks, That means I am done playing Powerball
January 3, 2012 at 5:40 pm | | Report comment
Why? Cuz somebody is greedy? Don’t fix what ain’t broken! If they wanted a high-stakes game, why not add another? Don’t mess up Powerball. I’ve been playin for prolly 17 years now, but will quit cold turkey to protest. I just don’t understand why they have to change it. Is the Lottery commission going through difficult finicial times, or is this just a bunch of overpaid idiots trying to justify their worthless positions?
January 4, 2012 at 1:07 pm | | Report comment
Boycott Powerball!
January 4, 2012 at 1:09 pm | | Report comment
Poor decision. Sales will go down. Go back to $1 per ticket, decrease size of prizes and make more of them. The only solution that makes any sense.
January 7, 2012 at 5:14 am | | Report comment
This will backfire…mark my words! In two months when their sales have plummeted they’ll be singing another tune and will lower the price back to a dollar. They will then release some stupid press release saying something to the effect of…We were ill advised by an “outside” marketing that this is what people wanted. Uh huh…yeah right!
January 18, 2012 at 3:04 pm | | Report comment