Powerball Price Hike Gets Mixed Reviews

Posted on January 18th, 2012

Last Sunday the price of a Powerball lottery ticket doubled. To make up for the increase in price the multi state lottery doubled its starting jackpots and players who pick five numbers correctly will now win $1 million instead of $250,000. Tennessee lottery director Rebecca Hargrove said that lottery players in her state will like the changes because of the larger jackpots. Powerball jackpots now start at $40 million instead of $20 million. Hargrove said that since the game was introduced in 2004 Tennessee Powerball players have won more than $294.6 million. So far player reaction to the changes has been muted but in Georgia a few players gave the new Powerball games mixed reviews.

Georgia has produced some big Powerball jackpot winners in the past but customers had mixed reactions to the changes and ticket price hikes. For Powerball player Alan Bland the price increase won’t stop him from playing Powerball. Bland told reporters “The fact that they’re $2 doesn’t make a difference. If it’s a big jackpot, you’re going to play anyway.” Not everyone feels the same way. Customer Jim Maiorana said that the price hike is not justified. Maiorana said “I think it’s gouging. Why an additional dollar?”

The new Powerball game features better player odds of winning the top jackpot. Powerball decreased the number players can select from 39 to 35 making the odds of winning the top jackpot 1 in 75 million. Before the changes the odds were 1 in 192 million. Georgia Lottery Corporation CEO Margaret DeFrancisco believes the bigger jackpots will attract new players and retain established players. De Francisco stated “As the jackpots grow, we have found over time that we get more and more players engaged. Not just for Georgia and HOPE and pre-K, but for all lotteries across the country who support good causes, this will be a very good thing.”

Heby’s Shell displays winning tickets on the walls. The collection includes one Powerball ticket worth $116 million in 2010. Dwanda Dennis expressed the view of many players and said “If you could win $250,000 or $1 million off $2, I’d play.” Some players said that they will have to cut back on ticket purchases because of the higher prices. Nate Smith said he planned to cut back and told reporters “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I don’t think I’ll play as much.”