Maricopans brace for eye-popping lottery drawings

Jul 14, 2023

2010

Lottery tickets Mega Millions — InMaricopa reader poll showed that less than one in three Maricopans buys Arizona Lottery tickets. [Arizona Lottery]

Winning a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot can transform lives in unimaginable ways.

The winning pot differs from draw to draw, with some jackpots occasionally surpassing hundreds of millions, and even billions, of dollars.

Such a life-altering sum has the power to make dreams come true and change the trajectory of individuals, families and even communities.

Last year, InMaricopa asked: “How many lottery tickets, including Powerball and Mega Millions, do you buy each week?”

Overwhelmingly, people responded to the answer, “Zero. It’s a total waste of money,” with 69 percent of our 145 voters choosing to hold onto their money.

A distant second was this response: “1 to 9. I know I have next to no chance but it’s worth the small risk,” at 28.3 percent.

A measly 2.7 percent of respondents fit into the high-roller category by choosing this answer: “10 or more. Somebody has to win sooner or later, it might as well be me.”

While Maricopans may not be opening their wallets to play lottery games, the rest of the state certainly is.

Huge jackpot drawings this week

The next drawing for the Mega Millions will happen tonight with an estimated jackpot of $560 million. The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever nearly tripled that figure when a player won $1.537 billion in October 2018.

The Powerball drawing happens tomorrow with an estimated jackpot of $875 million. It’s the third-largest Powerball jackpot ever.

The two largest Powerball jackpots were the world record $2.04 billion prize won last year and the $1.586 billion jackpot won in 2016.

The Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tantalize with the possibility of instant wealth, igniting dreams of a life unburdened by financial constraints. The payouts have the potential to change lives and provide opportunities for personal fulfillment and giving back to society.

While the odds of winning may be slim, the allure of the Powerball lottery continues to captivate millions, offering a chance at the extraordinary. Even for those of us in Arizona’s small towns.