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CNN Live At Daybreak
Who Wants to Be a Multimillionaire?
Aired August 24, 2001 - 09:19 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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: It's time to do the Regis imitation: Who wants to be a multi, multimillionaire? Judging from the long lines at Powerball ticket outlets, an awful lot of people do. And with just one day to go now before the big Powerball drawing, the town of Greenwich, Connecticut is suspending ticket sales for 24 hours.
The town was flooded with lottery players from New York. Businesses and police were overwhelmed. Many wanna-be millionaires stood in pouring rain yesterday to buy tickets for tomorrow's drawing. It's an estimated $280 million. And that's not the record. It's this game's second largest jackpot ever.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: So you understand why the rush for Powerball tickets is on this morning in 21 states and the District of Colombia.
For the latest, let's go live to Keith Oppenheim. He is in Hammond, Indiana this morning -- Keith, good morning.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn.
It's those border locations that get crazy. And I'm going to give you a little tour of Luke's Skyway Shell (ph). It's just over the border from Chicago, Illinois. And here at Luke's Skyway Shell, as we take a look over my side here, you can see there are pretty long lines. I'm guessing there are about 50 people or so in the store online right now.
And the one reason you don't see all of them inside the store is because right now they have diverted the lines outside the building of this convenience store. And that's how busy it gets. I have to apologize, because in order to illustrate Powerball frenzy, I'm going to give you some bad poetry. So here is our lyrical look at the lottery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): When life takes its toll, Chicagoans head down the hill to the Indiana line for a cool $280 million. Why all the fuss?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You play because you want to win.
OPPENHEIM: And so something resembling... UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... a leisure life...
OPPENHEIM: ... can begin.
So they scootch up in line, dream of life without toil, as they stack up against loaded shelves of Pennzoil. The dream?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kids, college, house.
OPPENHEIM: The fantasies abound. For Andrea Davis (ph), it's...
ANDREA DAVIS, POWERBALL PLAYER: ... building a new house from the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll send you a card from Hawaii saying, "I wish you were here."
OPPENHEIM: Yes, some would-be winners plan on going somewhere. Ricky Cruz (ph) stands in line. He knows where he'd go. It's back to Puerto Rico.
RICKY CRUZ, POWERBALL PLAYER: I will never come back to the snow.
OPPENHEIM: But mind, not everyone here is obsessing with greed. Althea Joy (ph) will donate to family...
ALTHEA JOY, POWERBALL PLAYER: ... and other relatives in need.
OPPENHEIM: And I'll make my confession: I got the bright idea that I could win, too! I gave 10 bucks to Althea.
(on camera): All right, we got a deal. Thanks.
JOY: OK.
OPPENHEIM: All right.
JOY: All right.
OPPENHEIM (voice-over): So if you're dreaming of riches at the front of the line, just fill out the form; this could be your time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And right now it's Powerball.
OPPENHEIM: Oh, to win would be nice. And if you don't believe, remember:
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lightning always strikes twice.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM: What can I say, but my apologies for that, Daryn. You know, my 6-year-old has been reading me "Green Eggs and Ham" on a nightly basis and other Dr. Seuss fare. I think it's having an effect.
Anyway, the chances of winning are about one in 80 million. And the biggest prize was $363 million last year. That wasn't Powerball. That was Big Game. So this could get close. It could be at least $280 million. At this point, that's just a lot of cash -- back to you.
KAGAN: Keith, I was just wondering if you kept Althea's number, so that if you do win big, you can get her in on the winnings there.
OPPENHEIM: Daryn, I'm not kidding: She asked for my card after she walked away. So I think we've got a contractual business relationship. If I win, you are probably going to read in the paper that I had to give her a million bucks or something.
KAGAN: She's a smart woman right.
OPPENHEIM: Yes.
KAGAN: Keith Oppenheim in Hammond, Indiana, thanks so much.
FRAZIER: "Rhyming Reporter Wins Big" -- that will be the headline.
KAGAN: Absolutely.
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