IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The group that runs the Powerball lottery game approved, then abandoned, changes that would have given ticket buyers more bang for their two bucks than the redesign implemented last year.
Powerball managers changed the game’s odds in October to build bigger jackpots and revive lagging player interest. The strategy quickly paid dividends for state lotteries, causing soaring ticket sales as a jackpot grew to a record $1.6 billion last month.
Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press show a different Powerball overhaul was initially planned to increase jackpots while providing more value for players. The “Power Play” that multiplies cash prizes for an extra $1 would have been embedded in the base $2 ticket. A new $1 add-on would have entered players into a second jackpot drawing for $10 million.
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