More than $1 billion is up for grabs in Saturday’s Powerball drawing.
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Dozens of Miami Valley residents have gone out to buy tickets with hopes of winning big.
News Center 7′s Malik Patterson went to Bee Gee’s Market in Kettering to talk to some of those hopeful players TONIGHT on News Center 7 at 11:00.
“If I win I’ll give you some money,” Judy Nevels said.
Nevels said she traveled from Wilmington to buy tickets at Bee Gee’s.
“At least twice a week and what we do is we play for a couple of days,” Nevels said.
Nevels said she can’t remember the first time she bought tickets here because “it’s been ages.”
But she makes the nearly 40-minute drive because she knows Bee Gee’s produces winners.
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“10 grand, 20 grand, 50 grand are very regular here. If you look on the walls wrapped all around the store, you see a lot of the winner’s posters are wrapped all around,” Bee Gee’s Market owner Michael Sliger said.
Sliger said he will play Powerball when it reaches a billion dollars.
“I don’t play a lot of lotteries myself just because it would be too easy to do. For a billion dollars, I do spend $10,” Sliger said.
Fairborn resident Tom Spicer is hoping to get lucky, so he stopped by Bee Gee’s to buy Powerball tickets. He said he wouldn’t believe it if he won.
“Probably shocked, dumbfounded probably have to pinch myself to see if I really won,” Spicer said.
When the shock wore off, he said he’d make travel plans.
“Hawaii, probably some Caribbean Islands. Someplace warm and nice. I’m tired of the cold,” Spicer said.
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According to Forbes, whoever wins the jackpot will walk away with nearly $600 million after taxes.
Both Spicer and Nevels said if they won, they would give a lot of the money away to others.
“Hopefully use it for good and help people that would need it,” Spicer said.
“I’d just pass it out,” Nevels said.
The lucky winner will get to decide if they want to take their winnings in a lump sum or annual payments.
Sliger said it’s up to the person, but taking the money all at once could be more beneficial.
The latest Powerball numbers will be aired TONIGHT on News Center 7 at 11:00.
We will continue to follow this story.
