(WKBN) – It was a big increase Thursday for the Powerball prize. No one won Wednesday’s Powerball drawing.

The lottery machine is working hard, and printing fast at Colla’s Market. The year will end with people buying Powerball tickets, hoping to be the first millionaire of the new year.

“People getting that fever in them. They want that chance at that big jackpot,” said owner John Colla.

Mike Kudlovsky plays other Ohio lottery games, focusing on certain numbers he feels are due to hit or could be lucky, such as birth dates, special family dates. He hit for $6 in the last Powerball. Now, he has ten tickets, about $20 for Saturday’s drawing.

“I’m always when it gets bigger, excited, I play a little extra in it. Probably about $20 in it,” Kudlovsky said. “You can’t win if you don’t play. I even took extra cards in case I figure some more lucky numbers to play.”

Colla’s in Austintown has a reputation for being a lucky place and having a high number of lottery winners. If there’s a winner in this latest large jackpot, John Colla hopes the holder of that ticket realizes a dream and uses it for good.

“I would want to help people. That would be my goal is to help people if you win that kind of money.
What are you going to do with all that money? One person. You’ll never be able to spend it all. So you might as well help other people enjoy themselves,” Colla said.

It’s been a big year for Powerball. There were jackpots won from $23 million to $731 million. Six jackpots added up to over $2 billion. All of the winners took the cash option.

As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the jackpot had risen to $500 million. The next drawing will be Saturday at 10:59 p.m.