A lot of the Black Friday sales are sold out, but many people in South Dakota are hoping to get the ultimate gift and be a millionaire for the holidays. The jackpot for Powerball's Saturday drawing has climbed to $325 million, the fourth-largest in the game's history. This is the first time a large jackpot that's fallen over a major holiday.
While shopping at Lewis Drug on 41st Street and Minnesota Avenue, Nick Doetzel said he had a lot to be thankful for.
"I had a lot of good food, gained some weight," Doetzel said.
Still, he can't deny that it would be nice if the Christmas tree was not the only green part of his holiday season. He knows what he would do with the winning ticket.
"I'd definitely start with a house. Right now I'm starting to pay off my college loans, so I'd definitely get that taken care of. I'd go with a new car," Doetzel said.
If you take the cash option you would have a payout of nearly $213 million before taxes.
Here are a few ideas of what else you could buy. You could get more than 426,000 iPads, or about 213,000 50 inch LED TVs. Thinking bigger? You could buy your own island in Fiji and one is for sale at just a mere $11.5 million.
"Anytime the jackpots for Powerball gets that high, we do have a pretty good influx of people," Lewis Drug Manager Bob Deaton said.
Officials are still unsure whether Thanksgiving and Black Friday will help or hinder sales. Deaton does not think the Powerball stole focus away from Black Friday.
"Lottery tickets really rely on the jackpot more than anything else. There will be more people out and more people will see the sing. There will probably be some increase," Deaton said.
He expects to see more people after the winning Powerball ticket on Saturday, the day the winning numbers are unwrapped.
Doetzel does not think he will win, but like everyone, it is always nice to dream.
"Definitely. Definitely," Doetzel said.
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