Utahns race to Wyoming to purchase lottery tickets for $1.4 billion jackpot

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A chance at the $1.4 billion dollar Powerball lottery jackpot Wednesday, meant a change in schedule for countless Utahns who rearranged their day to make the trip up to Wyoming, where they can purchase tickets legally. 

All forms of various lottery games are banned in Utah, but the road trip to the Flying J Traveling Center, just off Interstate 80 in Evanston, was worth the inconvenience, according to several Utahns. 

“We left at 9:30 this morning and got to Evanston … an hour and a half later,” Carolyn Smith told ABC4 News. “We stacked up, I’ve got 11 [tickets] in my hands.” 

That’s eleven chances at life changing money. Unfortunately, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million. Additionally, a large portion of the winnings are deducted.

While the $1.4 billion prize has an advertised cash lump sum of $634,300,000, 24% of federal income taxes, or about $152,000,000 is withheld first. Then, the following April an additional 13% of federal income taxes will also be deducted, leaving the remaining total at a little more than $400 million. Wyoming doesn’t have a state income tax, but in other states, that will be deducted as well. 

Throughout the day, long lines inside the store were apparent. A gas station clerk told ABC4 they’ve sold between $30,000 and $50,000 worth of tickets in the last several days. 

Salt Lake City resident Eryn Clark makes the regular drive down to the Flying J, as she’s nearly hit the jackpot twice for other lottery games. 

“We hit all numbers but one number twice in a row. So, one week we hit on Lucky for Life, where you would win a $1,999 a day for life,” Clark said, “We missed it by one number and two weeks later, we missed it again by one number.”

If Clark or any other Utahn matches all 6 numbers, heeding the advice of the nation’s most famous lottery attorney, Kurt Panouses, would be wise. 

Panouses, whose represented more than 50 $1 million winners, including the $1.05 billion winner in Michigan a few years back, advises to keep a low profile if you win. 

He gives a couple tip for lottery winners, “Number 1, they need to be quiet. Number 2, make sure the ticket is in a safe place, keep it safe, make a copy of it ahead of time, don’t mark the ticket.”

His final tip is to plan ahead. Panouses said, “Number 3: Start thinking about who you would want to help, how would you want this money to be used in the next year or so, so when you meet with [an attorney] they can take that information and put that money together for you.”

Wednesday’s drawing and results starts at 8:59 MT.