Iowans were lining up at grocery and convenience stores last week, hoping to win a big Powerball prize. Iowa Lottery spokesperson Tina Potthoff says it’s not a surprise. She says sales always increase when the jackpot increases, but they really pick up when the jackpot reaches the 250 to 300 million dollar range.
"On a typical week, we do about $1.2 million in sales," Potthoff says, "but last week, we did about $3.8 million." Iowans weren’t just playing Powerball, giving the Iowa Lottery one of it’s biggest sales weeks ever.
The lottery reported $7.16 million in sales with all products combined. During the last fiscal year, the highest weekly sales were around $6.5 million. The winning ticket for Saturday’s $300 million dollar jackpot was sold in Indiana. Potthoff says time is running out for an Iowan to win this year.
"We’ve had a nice run over the past couple years," Potthoff says, "because we’ve had a winner in 2004, 2005, and 2006. So, we’re just waiting for our winner in 2007." The jackpot for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing returns to $15 million.