In July of 1998 the Powerball jackpot climbed to $295.7 million. Minnesotans set a record for the most money spent on a single drawing.

The jackpot for this Saturday night is estimated at $215 million, and Minnesotans are once again in a frenzy.

&uot;This is the third-largest advertised jackpot in Powerball history,&uot; said Lottery Director George Andersen in a press release. &uot;Saturday’s jackpot is an amazing amount of money, but players should still keep the game in perspective. Have fun with it, but continue to play responsibly and within your means.&uot;

At the Kwik Trip at East Main Street and Garfield Avenue in Albert Lea, customers have been lining up to buy tickets all week, according to store manager Nancy Anderson.

One man vying for the prize is Walt McKoskey of Albert Lea. He bought five tickets at $1 each.

&uot;Well, when it’s at $160 million plus you can’t really resist,&uot; he said.

How does he feel about his chances?

&uot;Not very good,&uot; he said. &uot;But you can’t win if you don’t try.&uot;

McKoskey is one of millions who buying lottery tickets for Saturday night.

While there may not be much chance of winning, people are lining up at every conveinience store to get in on the action.

&uot;You can really see a difference in how many customers we get,&uot; said Anderson. &uot;I can’t tell you the exact figures (of tickets sold), but I can say that they are substantial.&uot;

Many offices around town have pools of money going toward the Powerball, in hopes that their group can win and split up the earnings.

But most customers are just buying alone, hoping to take home all the $215 million.

Everyone has an idea of what they will do with the money.

&uot;I’d probably use the money to pay bills,&uot; Bill Holton of Albert Lea said. &uot;Then maybe I’d buy a new truck.&uot;

He bought $7 worth of tickets, and said he usually only buys $5 worth. On Wednesday night, Holton said his wife bought $25 worth of tickets.

Fantasizing about lottery winnings may seem unrealistic to some, but Holton said you have to dream.

&uot;I think that’s natural,&uot; he said. &uot;Everyone likes to think about how they’d use that money.&uot;

Chances for Wednesday’s drawing were one in 120 million.

&uot;You have virtually as good of chance of winning whether you by a ticket or not,&uot; said Roger Svendsen, problem gambling helpline director for the Minnesota Institute of Health.

Svendsen said lottery games are not usually addictive for gamblers, but can drive some to make impulsive, binge buys of large amounts of tickets.