Do We Have Jackpot Fatigue?

A $429.6 million Powerball jackpot hit on Saturday night, and in years past that would have been big news.

But after that $1.6 billion record runup in January, it’s only a brief. That’s a problem organizers of the two national lotteries, Powerball and MegaMillions, are facing more and more.

We have jackpot fatigue. Almost like how an addict needs more and more drug to reach the same high. (Sorry I stink at drug analogies, I led a too-pure life, so far.)

Powerball officials say they used to notice a huge bump when the jackpot surpassed $100 million. A couple of years ago, surpassing that figure meant those who didn’t regularly play the game would start buying tickets.

Now the figure that triggers general public interest is more like $250 million, they say.
And think, of this, since the launch of a multi-state lottery in 1987, Saturday’s $429.6 million jackpot is the seventh-highest of all time. But I’m still thinking, “Hey, too bad it didn’t get close to $1 billion.” Like $415 million isn’t an eye-popping number?

Also of note: This was the second Powerball jackpot since that $1.6 billion hit on Jan. 13, with James Stocklas of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, scoring $291 million on March 2 in between. (He bought the winning ticket in Marathon, Fla, while returning home from a fishing trip.)

Powerball then rolled over 18 times, until Saturday’s winning numbers of 5-25-26-44-66, with a Powerball of 9. The ticket was sold in Mercer County, N.J.

The Powerball jackpot now resets to $40 million for Wednesday’s drawing, and we do this all over again.