Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ lottery had sold $300,000 worth of Powerball tickets by 3 p.m. today, state Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue said.
Tickets for the multi-state Powerball game went on sale in Arkansas at 10:15 p.m. Saturday. Passailaigue, who formerly ran South Carolina’s lottery, said about half of the sales occurred on Sunday, typically the slowest day of the week for Powerball sales.
“We used to do $60,000 to $70,000 maybe on a Sunday in Powerball (in South Carolina), so just looking at the sales figures with the population differences, it tells you we’re doing pretty well,” he said.
Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:59 p.m. CST in Orlando, Fla. On Monday the jackpot was $66 million.
Passailaigue said he expects sales to increase closer to Wednesday’s drawing, the first that will be open to players of Arkansas’ lottery.
“I’m rooting for an Arkansan to win $66 million,” he said.
