Oklahomans In The Grips Of Powerball Fever

It is the biggest Powerball jackpot ever and odds are in the favor of someone winning it all Wednesday night.  

Oklahomans have been buying up tickets hoping it will be them. At Lottery retailers across the state, millionaire hopefuls are buying tickets almost as fast as cashiers can sell them. The latest numbers available show retailers are selling almost 55,000 tickets an hour.  

"I'm getting lunch and playing Powerball for tonight's drawing," said Judy Davis. 

With so many tickets being bought, winnings keep going up. By noon, the jackpot had grown to $550 million that would make the cash option $360.2 million before taxes.

That has even those who don't typically play, buying a chance.

"Cause tonight's the big one," said Monte Combellick. 

It is the kind of money that will change your life. Oklahoma's biggest winners:  Don and Joyce Harvey of Muldrow, who won 105.8 million in June 2007 and took home $33 million, used some of that money in 2009 to set up a charitable foundation for sick kids.

"We're trying to get it where they don't have to deal with this stuff, we want to have it where we understand it and hopefully a cure is what I'm hoping for," said Joyce in 2009.

The Harvey's are one of 33 total Powerball winners in Oklahoma that won more than $500,000. And there was no shortage on Wednesday with those betting at least $2 they will be number 34.

"It's a big one, almost half a billion dollars. Oh yea got to play, got to play," said Davis.

You have until 8:59 p.m. Wednesday to buy a ticket.