UNITED STATES: LOTTERY POWERBALL FEVER GRIPS MUCH OF THE U.S. AS PEOPLE QUEUE FOR CHANCE TO WIN $280 MILLION DOLLAR JACKPOT

Record ID: 338250

  • Title: UNITED STATES: LOTTERY POWERBALL FEVER GRIPS MUCH OF THE U.S. AS PEOPLE QUEUE FOR CHANCE TO WIN $280 MILLION DOLLAR JACKPOT
  • Date: 24th August 2001
  • Summary: (U7) WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 24, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN: PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE TO BUY POWERBALL LOTTERY TICKETS 0.10 2. SV: PEOPLE BUYING POWERBALL TICKETS 0.15 3. SV: POWERBALL FORMS; PAN TO PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS 0.23 4. SV: PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS 0.28 5. SV: PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE 0.33 6. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAN SAYING: "I heard that I have a better chance of getting being struck by lightening twice in the same day. It's a sunny day so that's not going to happen. I'm hoping my chances here are a little better." 0.42 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING: "I really don't know. I just came out here hoping I'll win." 0.46 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING: "I hope we'll win. We're optimistic. Our fingers are crossed!" 0.49 9. PAN UP: POWERBALL TICKET STAND 0.54 10. SCU: POWERBALL TICKET FORMS 1.00 11. PAN: PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE 1.08 12. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN IS ASKED: "What would you do with the money if you won?" WOMAN ANSWERS: "Pay for the house, pay for college, spoil the kids rotten. Do whatever I could for our family and friends." 1.19 13. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING: "Pay off all my debts. Give my family maybe a million dollars each. That's about it." 1.25 14. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING: "The first thing that I would buy would be the Landrover defender 90. That's for sure." 1.30 15. PAN: PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE 1.37 16. SCU: TICKET STAND 1.40 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA6E8AWCUKEL8MMLRWGOP074V2G
  • Story Text: Lottery Powerball fever has gripped much of the United
    States - as Americans queue up for a chance to win Saturday's
    280 million dollar (USD) jackpot.


    In Washington, D.C., people were queueing up outside
    the door at the Tenleytown mini-mart for a chance to win the
    "Powerball" jackpot.

    The odds of winning are about 80 million to one. But that
    hasn't stopped many from being hopeful.

    "I heard that I have a better chance of getting being
    struck by lightening twice in the same day," said one man.

    "It's a sunny day so that's not going to happen. I'm hoping my
    chances here are a little better."
    "I hope we'll win. We're optimistic," said one woman. "Our
    fingers are crossed!"
    Players have two options for collecting the winnings: a
    one-time payout worth more than 160 million (USD) before taxes
    or the full 280 million (USD), also before taxes, paid out
    yearly over 25 years.

    Many in line already knew what they'd do with the money if
    they were luck enough to win the lottery.

    "Pay for the house, pay for college, spoil the kids rotten.

    Do whatever I could for our family and friends," said one
    woman.

    "Pay off all my debts. Give my family maybe a million dollars
    each. That's about it," said another man.

    One man told Reuters that he wants to buy a jeep.

    The prize is the second highest for the Powerball game,
    behind a 295.7 million (USD) payoff in 1998. The record for a
    U.S. lottery payout, a 363 million (USD) jackpot, occurred in
    2000 in another multi-state game.

    The Powerball lottery is conducted in Arizona, Colorado,
    Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa,
    Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana,
    Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island,
    South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
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