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Powerball Fever Mounts As Time Of Drawing Winning Numbers Nears [Videos, Photos]

By Charisse Van Horn
Published on: 13:14 PST, Jan 9, 2016

Update! As of Sunday, Jan 10, 2016, Powerball fever continues to sweep the nation. There were no winners for the grand prize jackpot and now the Powerball jackpot has increased to $1.3 billion. This number could continue to rise. The next drawing will be on Wednesday, Jan 13, 2016, and it is expected that even more people will continue to play the multi-state lottery. The Internet has continued to share stories, Powerball dreams and memes focusing on the upcoming drawing for the winning numbers and the billion dollar jackpot.

Do you have Powerball fever?

Update!

Powerball fever continues, and as of 11 p.m, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, the Powerball winning numbers have been announced. The live drawing took place and people nationwide were met with disappointment as they didn’t match the numbers. It is still early and the winners have yet to be revealed. We’ll bring you the video of the drawing as soon as it is available.

Here are the Powerball winning numbers as drawn on Jan. 9, 2016: 16, 32, 19, 34, 57, and the Powerball is 13. Did you win?

Here is the video of the drawing as it aired live.

Powerball fever is in the air, in stores and in multiple states across America. The hashtag #PowerballFever began trending at approximately 8 p.m., ET., just hours before the time for the Powerball drawing and winning numbers are announced. The Powerball jackpot is the largest in history and is currently at $900 million, causing countless people to get caught up in what is being dubbed “Powerball fever.” Earlier on Saturday, the jackpot climbed faster than the website could keep up, indicating just how many people had caught the Powerball fever, and you needed to check the entry screen in order to see the correct total for the Powerball jackpot, or grand prize. The jackpot continued to climb due to record ticket sales as the fever continued to mount from one state to the next.

While Powerball fever is trending on social media, other words being used to describe those playing for the record-breaking jackpot are “Powerball craze,” “Powerball mania,” and “Powerball frenzy.” The internet’s obsession with Powerball fever is a correct indication of how many people nationwide have purchased tickets. There is no doubt that Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the most watched in U.S. history. Long lines were seen in multiple states as people rushed, then waited to purchase their Powerball tickets. You may see photos and videos of Powerball fever and news reports of people waiting in line to purchase tickets below.

While it seems that “Powerball fever” is just a catchy name to use on social media networks, one news outlet pointed out that Powerball fever is actually a rush or high created by dopamine. It’s important to recognize that playing the lottery such as Powerball is a form of gambling, and even though many people have rushed to play Powerball and may not play again, others may be experiencing a chemical change in the brain that can lead to addiction. Is Powerball fever actually an indication that someone might be susceptible to developing a gambling addiction?

Those who have current gambling addictions, may be finding it difficult not to get caught up in the hype and rush out to purchase as many tickets as they can buy. While the exact total of ticket sales for the latest Powerball drawing has yet to be tallied, there is no question that the fever has spread. Those who are dealing with gambling and addiction issues may be having a tough time resisting the urge to gamble or may find they aren’t playing Powerball in a responsible manner.

San Jose Mercury News spoke to UC San Francisco Neuroscientist and Professor Howard Fields who explained how the gambling addiction works in relation to dopamine.

“In the brain stem of a gambler, dopamine neurons are firing very high, pushing them to put out the money, to go and buy the ticket,” said Fields, a professor of neurology at UC San Francisco. “During pleasurable experiences, dopamine floods the brain and urges humans to repeat the bliss-blasting behavior.” But, Fields added, “the brain tends to overestimate the possibility of reward.”

It’s also possible that those who never had a gambling problem could focus so greatly on the rewards of the latest Powerball lottery, they develop a gambling habit or addiction.

Those new to Powerball or who are suddenly caught up in Powerball fever may want to check out resources regarding gambling addiction to ensure they know the warning signs. There are responsible ways to play Powerball and other lotteries, and knowing the warning signs of a gambling addiction can help prevent Powerball fever from turning into a debilitating problem. This quiz can help Powerball and other lottery players identify or recognize a gambling problem or addiction that is more than just “Powerball fever.”

If you need help with a gambling problem, you can contact Gambler’s Anonymous and speak to someone right away or attend a meeting in your local community.

For those who are caught up in Powerball fever, but are playing responsibly, the winning numbers will be announced before 11 p.m. You can check back here as we’ll have the winning numbers from the live drawing and video added as well.

[Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images]

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