YORK, Pa. — While "cha-ching" may be the sound you hear when you think about winning the more than 685 million dollar Powerball, there's more to it than that.
What you may not know is that the game itself has a major impact on elderly Pennsylvanians in our own backyard.
Ewa Swope, Press Secretary for the Pennsylvania Lottery says, “The Pennsylvania lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents.”
During 2020-21, the Pennsylvania lottery generated a profit of more than $1.3 billion and since ticket sales began in 1972 she says the lottery has done wonders for elder care.
“It has contributed more than 32.6 billion - that’s billion dollars - to fund things like property taxes, rent rebates, transportation, care services, and local services including senior centers and meals.”
All of those vital services supported, thanks to robust sales piling up in the state.
Meanwhile, for those who play, here's some fast facts for you:
This Powerball is the eighth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.
There hasn’t been a bigger Powerball jackpot since a $731.1 million prize was won on Jan. 20.
The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.