BERLIN, Md. - On Christmas Eve, some holiday shoppers across Delmarva added one more stop to their to-do list: the gas station counter.
With the Powerball jackpot climbing to an estimated $1.7 billion ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing, store owners in Worcester County said they saw a steady stream of customers buying tickets and talking through their own “what if” scenarios.
For Logan Ginnavan, a college student who bought tickets at a Berlin convenience store, the appeal was simple.
“I mean, you never know. You could get a Christmas miracle,” Ginnavan said.
He said if he won, his first move would be practical. “First thing I would probably do is pay off my school loans,” he said, adding he would then spend whatever was left on something fun.
Other players said they treat the lottery as a routine, especially when the jackpot rises this high. One regular who goes by “Pipeline” said his mindset is that someone will eventually win. If he hit the jackpot, he said his first call would likely be to his accountant.
At Your Store Market in Berlin, owner Manish Patel said the big number changes buying habits, bringing in both regular players and first-timers. Patel said he is hoping a winning ticket comes from his store, noting he was encouraged by a recent drawing in which a ticket came close to the top prize.
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern, and the Maryland Lottery lists a 9:59 p.m. sales cutoff for the game in the state.
Despite the excitement, the odds remain long. The chance of winning the jackpot is 1 in 292,201,338, while the overall odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 24.87.
Nationally, the jackpot has grown after weeks without a top-prize winner, adding to the holiday buzz as families gather and last-minute errands fill the day.
