More are participating in the lottery as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA
Associated Press

AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Convenience stores are swamped as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar to some of their largest in the history of the games. The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday night’s drawing has grown to $560 million — the seventh-highest. Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot for Saturday’s drawing has grown to an estimated $875 million — the third-highest. Yet some experts raise concerns with the games. Their abysmal odds — 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball — are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. The director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University says the lottery has historically acted as a regressive tax on the poor — people that can least afford to lose their money buy the most tickets.