Powerball

The jackpot for tonight’s Powerball drawing is expected to top 500-million dollars.   Randy Miller of the North Dakota Lottery says In fiscal year 2012 lottery sales in the state hit a new high at 26-million dollars – a 13-percent increase over the previous year.  Miller says sales tend to fluctuate with the size of the jackpot.  He says lotto games generated seven-point-six million dollars for the state’s coffers.  According to Miller 200-thousand went towards compulsive gambling programs and another 422-thousand to the multi-jurisdictional drug task force.   Miller says much of the growth in sales is tied to the state’s two biggest games :  Powerball and Mega-Millions.