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Floridians will soon have a chance to compete with people from other states to win big bucks. Powerball is coming to Florida. As Whitney Ray tells us, Floridians are ready to buy a ticket and so are people from bordering states.

Hear it Here: The Stakes Just Got Higher

There’s plenty of Florida merchandise in this convenience store on the north side of the Florida – Georgia border. Even some of the customers are from the Sunshine state. Floridians flock to the Peach state to play Mega Millions, a Multi state lotto game that lives up to its name. The jackpot this week is 53 million, much higher than the Florida Lottery’s payout.

“If you win the one down in Florida for 3 million. Hell by the time taxes gone out you ain’t got no money left. Hell people crazy down there,” said Luther Grander who bought a Mega Millions Ticket Thursday.

In January Floridians will be able to play for a much higher jackpot without leaving the state. The Florida Lottery is getting Powerball. Georgia resident George Washington Jr. says he’ll make weekly trips to Florida to play.

No one knows how many people from Georgia will flock to Florida to play Powerball but the new game could keep Floridians from flocking to the peach state to play Mega Millions

Florida will be the biggest of the 29 states to host Powerball. None of Florida’s bordering states have the game. The Florida Lottery doesn’t plan to advertise in other states, but they say the Powerball name will attract players.

“The game it’s self will speak for its self. It’s a great game and I don’t think it gets any bigger than Powerball,” said Florida Lottery Spokeswoman Jackie Barreiros.

Florida Lottery sales are flat. They hope Powerball will give them the boast needed to help fund education.

Over the last 20 years the Florida Lottery has raised 18 billion dollars for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 146 million. The current jackpot is at 85 million dollars. Powerball tickets cost a dollar a piece and there’s an option to add a red power number for an extra buck. Tickets will go on sell in Florida in January 2009. The Powerball drawing is hosted in Iowa, but will be moved to Florida by the end of the year.