(Updated, 4:30 p.m.)
CRANSTON – Massachusetts will start offering Powerball tickets Sunday, but Rhode Island will not see a decrease in revenue, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Lottery said.
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The game is already offered in Rhode Island, and starting Sunday 7,500 Massachusetts retailers will offer tickets.
Rhode Island Lottery spokeswoman Melissa Ferriola said the lottery expects to offset any losses because Rhode Island will now offer Mega Millions. The lottery, Ferriola said, expects to see $18.2 million more in sales and $6.7 million more in profit each year, partly thanks to Mega Millions. The game will officially launch in Rhode Island on Sunday.
When Powerball launches in Massachusetts, it will be extending its reach to 33 states with a combined population of 199 million people, or about two-thirds of the entire U.S. population.
Massachusetts lottery officials expect sales of Powerball tickets to reach about $50 million each year and to generate about $25 million in profit annually, which will flow back to the commonwealth’s municipalities.
“This is a significant boost for local aid and our 351 cities and towns,” said Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who chairs the Lottery Commission. “After months of intense negotiations, we have been able to deliver new excitement for lottery players and more revenue for our communities.”
The Bay State becomes the last New England state to join Powerball. Jackpots for the games routinely top $100 million, and lottery officials said the addition of Massachusetts could lead to them growing faster and larger.
Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. at Universal Studios in Orlando and aired on local television stations.
