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Feedback: North Country Has Powerball Fever

Story Published: Nov 28, 2012 at 5:53 PM EDT

Story Updated: Nov 28, 2012 at 7:21 PM EDT

The Powerball jackpot just keeps climbing and people are out in force looking for that magic ticket.

"Sales are up. Traffic count is definitely way up for the half-a-billion dollars, as I refer to it. It's so much more than $500 million," said Scott Hirst of  Gold Star Deli in Watertown.

Just the thought of winning - despite 1 in 175 million odds of it actually happening - has people at The Clubhouse restaurant in Watertown talking.

"People are talking about it. They're watching the jackpot go up and they're buying like $10 - $20 a time when they buy, instead of $2 and $5," said Carol Jenkin of The Clubhouse.

And at Gold Star Deli, would-be-jackpot winners aren't stopping with the Powerball.

"They'll also pick up a few scratch tickets that they probably had no intention of getting, but because they're here and they're taking a chance they kind of spread it around," said Hirst.

Actually, Gold Star Deli was the site of a $56 million winning lottery ticket in 2005.

Something that changed everything - for everyone - not just the winner.

"Business went up after we sold the last ticket, and it's really never dropped off to the levels it was before," said Hirst.

But there are potential pitfalls anyone pressing their luck with the Powerball - especially if you're in an office pool.

Financial expert Shannon Exford says groups of winners usually lead to court battles.

"It's kind of like a business: the more partners there are, the more complicated it seems to get," said Exford.

Potential pitfalls and long odds are some of the reasons not to play the Powerball.

But of course, there are $550 million reasons to play.

 

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Sunday, May 26, 2013
, Watertown, NY

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