程阳：佛罗里达州加入强力球联销

Powerball Tickets Now On Sale In Florida

目前美国尚有阿拉巴马、阿拉斯加、夏威夷、密西西比、内华达、犹他、怀俄明州、阿肯色州等8个州没有发行彩票，阿肯色州将于2008年11月，通过投票决定是否发行彩票。已经发行彩票的佛罗里达州、波多黎各领地目前没有加入任何州际联合彩票，佛罗里达州于2008年7月2日声明，该州将于2009年元月加入“强力球（Powerball）”。 —— 程阳《美国的彩票》

By Ray Reyes
Tampa Bay Online
updated 8:45 p.m. ET Jan. 4, 2009
TAMPA - After years of waiting, Floridians finally got the opportunity today to start playing Powerball, a multistate lottery where the jackpot averages nearly $40 million per drawing.

When Powerball tickets went on sale at 6 a.m., Florida became the 30th state to join the Multi-State Lottery Association.

Customers' excitement for Powerball had been building up all week, said Michael Allen, the general manager of the Nola Café on Platt Street.

"People have been looking forward to this coming to Florida for a long time," Allen said. "It's the amount of the jackpot. People are blown away by how much other states are bringing in on their winnings."

It's easy to see why. Spending $3 on three tickets for the Florida Lotto gives people a chance at a $31 million Lotto Plus jackpot. Customers buying only one $2 Powerball ticket have a shot at this week's $105 million jackpot.

Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

For a $1 ticket, players pick five numbers from 59 white balls and one number ─ the Powerball number ─ from 39 red balls. Picking all six numbers correctly wins the jackpot.

Zack Ide, a manager of the Metro Gas Food Mart on Kennedy Boulevard, said he had sold eight Powerball tickets by late this afternoon.

Christian Bletchen, 28, bought one Powerball ticket from Ide on his way back to Orlando.

"I'm not a big Lotto player, but if this is the first day of Powerball, why not?" Bletchen said. "I hope I win. I would die. I would travel the world."

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程阳：2008年度全国彩票销售分析 

2008年全国各省市GDP排行