Ohio, Michigan lotteries to add Powerball game
1/16/2010CLEVELAND - The Ohio Lottery is moving to offer a second multistate game with the potential to win multimillion-dollar jackpots: Powerball.
The lottery announced Thursday that it will propose rules later this month for starting Powerball in Ohio by spring.
The Ohio Lottery sells tickets for Mega Millions, which is similar to Powerball. Both games are played in several states and offer jackpots that have reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Officials say more than $1.5 billion Mega Millions tickets have been sold in Ohio since 2002.
Ohio Lottery Director Kathleen Burke said the addition of Powerball would mean more money for the lottery's fund that benefits education and more revenue for retailers from commissions and bonuses.
No firm date has been set for implementation.
Michigan is gearing up to add the game, going so far as to distribute flyers saying, "Michigan Powerball. How to play."
Michigan Lottery Commissioner M. Scott Bowen said that while the sale of Powerball tickets could result in more cash to the School Aid Fund, it is premature to project how much.
Mega Millions drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays; Powerball drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays.