Record Powerball jackpot rises again to $550 million

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sales on the record Powerball jackpot continues to climb Wednesday morning. 

People across the Carolinas will make stops to pick up tickets before Wednesday night's much-anticipated drawing.

Powerball officials raised the jackpot to $550 million around 12 p.m. Wednesday.

Employees at a convenience store in south Charlotte told Channel 9 that sales have been consistent.  North Carolina lottery officials said by Monday $28 million in Powerball tickets had been sold in the state.

Some people that Channel 9 talked to Wednesday morning already had tickets, but some didn't know the jackpot was up to $500 million.

It is a new record for the Powerball.

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It is also not something that happened completely by chance.  Lottery officials made some changes over the last year to generate higher jackpots.

Last January, officials increased the price per ticket from $1 to $2.  $1 dollar goes to the jackpot, and the other to the states lottery organization.

Many hopeful winners already have plans for what to do with their millions.

"I would pay off everybody in my family's bills … give everybody a couple million, and live happily the rest of my life," one man said.

Lottery officials expect there is a 60 percent chance someone will win Wednesday night, but the odds of you being the winner are not so good: 1 in 175 million.

A single Powerball winner choosing the cash option would get more than $327 million before taxes.

You can get the winning Powerball numbers on our TV64 page, right here.

Head over to our Facebook page and let us know what is the first thing you would buy if you won the jackpot.

WSOC