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Canadians Flock to U.S. to Try Their Luck at Record Powerball

1 minute read
powerball lottery Canadians
A sign showing a Powerball prize of $999 million, the largest jackpot winnings that the Powerball sign can display, with the actual Powerball jackpot estimated at $1.3 billion, outside a deli in Washington, DC on Jan 11.Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images
By Justin Worland

Thousands of Canadians are traveling to the U.S. to buy lottery tickets in advance of Wednesday’s record Powerball drawing.

The purchase is easy for the millions of Canadians who live near the border with the U.S., and lottery rules do not prevent a person who is not a U.S. citizen from claiming the prize (though they may be subject to additional taxes), according to a CBS News report.

“The Canadians — they’re coming like crazy here for the lotto,” Alex Traverso of the California State Lottery told CBS. “You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to buy a Powerball ticket, as long as you’re buying your tickets at an authorized retail location, then that’s fine with us.”

The Powerball lottery pool has reached $1.4 billion, the largest total ever.

[CBS]

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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com