Playing the lottery is a game of chances and luck. So many who go out and buy tickets may experience numerous modest wins that keep them coming back, or they may be hopeful that one day will bring the big-ticket win.

Whichever the experience, the Pennsylvania Lottery has brought years of games and tickets. These include the multi-state Powerball, as well as Mega Millions. The jackpot in Mega Millions is currently up to $361 million, while the Powerball jackpot is up to $440 million.

The drawings for the Mega Millions are on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the drawings for the Powerball game are on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The cut-off time for purchasing tickets for either of these games is by 9:59 p.m. on the days of drawings.

Samuel, a manager at Crosby Mini Mart (who asked that the Era only use his first name), stated that he never really plays the lottery.

“It’s a harsh game,” he said. “You feed money into the tickets, and the money never really comes back.”

Despite his opinion of the odds, he noted that the store does a brisk business in lottery ticket sales.

Other stores around town also do well with ticket sales, including the Uni-Mart.

Heather Campbell, who works at the Uni-Mart, said she loves to play the lottery.

“I love to gamble but I haven’t played in awhile,” Campbell stated. “I’ve only ever won around $250.”

Edwin John Smith was at the Uni-Mart and purchased some lottery tickets. Although they weren’t for the Powerball or the Mega Millions, Smith said he still enjoys playing whenever he can.

“I’ve tried playing the Powerball before and never won, so that was kind of discouraging,” he said.

Although he doesn’t purchase lottery tickets often, Smith says it is something fun for him to do when he has a little extra money.

The Pennsylvania Lottery dates back to Aug. 26, 1971, when it was established. The lottery was originally targeted toward providing property-tax relief for seniors living in the state. The Pennsylvania Lottery also remains the only state lottery from which proceeds are given directly to programs that benefit older residents.