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CNN Live Saturday

Powerball to $280 Million

Aired August 25, 2001 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The power hour is near. Of course we are talking about Powerball. At 11:00 p.m. Eastern time tonight, the Powerball drawing may determine who in this country wins $280 million. CNN's Kathleen Koch is with some ticket hopefuls in the nation's capital now and joins us live -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Brian, if you do pick the cash option, it is a very neat $162 million. That's what has drawn people to lottery retailers like this one and throughout the nation's capital and the other two 21 states that play in the multistate Powerball lottery.

Here they started lining up around 5:30 this morning believe it or not even though this business didn't open 8:00 a.m. By the time we were here going live at 8 a.m. there were more than 100 people in line. Of course, there are some opponents who say this is tantamount to gambling, that this is not a good thing, that it saps money from people who can ill afford it. But lottery officials say that lotteries, in a way are a part of American history, that believe it or not, George Washington actually held a lottery to help fiance a revolution. Now, people are here filling out their tickets. Here is a gentleman as we speak.

How do you choose your numbers here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just select anyone that my pencil lands on.

KOCH: That's a good technique. Sort of random luck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go. I feel like a million bucks today.

KOCH: Terrific. Good luck. Also there is a lady here who we were chatting with earlier who has come all the way from -- she originates from Germany, but hives in the Maryland area now.

Tell us what you would do with the 280 million if you won?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like to fulfill my lifelong dream and buy a horse farm in Maryland.

KOCH: This is Elizabeth Salkow (ph) . Elizabeth, do they have lotteries like this in Germany and if so is this the same kind of reaction over there? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think so. It is called lottery, like lottery and a lot of money is spent there. I think they have huge pools in Europe.

KOCH: Thank you very much. Best of luck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

KOCH: Finally, how many tickets are you buying and if you win, what are your plans for the big money?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm buying about six tickets and my plans are to pay off my mother's home, to pay off mine, and take a long vacation.

KOCH: Some very nice plans. Thank you so much. Brian, we are hearing a lot of philanthropy out here as people are dreaming about the big money and it is not only perhaps good for whoever the winner is for their family, but good for businesses here, good for the city of DC which gets 50 percent of the lottery money that is raised in the city. Back to you.

NELSON: Before you go, let me turn the tables on you, how many tickets have you bought or about to buy?

KOCH: I have spent $10 and that is as high as it is going to get. With the odds of 80 million to 1 I know they are not very great in my favor, so I don't want to go overboard.

NELSON: Good luck tonight. Kathleen Koch in Washington.

And once the results of the drawing are announced, CNN will have live coverage of the results of the Powerball drawing and that will be at 11:00 Eastern time tonight.

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