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Powerball jackpot at $700 million but sales drop during eclipse

Posted at 10:33 AM, Aug 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-22 11:35:51-04

RICHMOND, Va. – The Powerball jackpot is up to an estimated $700 million ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing and the jackpot may rise even higher as folks flock to the store to purchase tickets.

But one thing did stop people from buying tickets this week — the eclipse!

The Virginia Lottery says between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Powerball sales decreased by 25 percent! After 3 p.m. and the eclipse had passed its peak totality in Virginia, sales returned to their previous strong level.

This $700 million jackpot is the second largest in Powerball history and the third largest of all the jackpot games.

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.