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The odds of dying from an accident with fireworks is one in 954,786. That of being attacked by a shark in an eight million.

Next week when Florida Lottery Powerball incorporate their games, and very difficult odds of winning the lottery multiestatal will be reduced to one in 198 million.

However, despite the difficulties of the economy, experts are betting that the large amounts of money from Powerball thousands of Floridians who will spend their money looking for the opportunity to take the jackpot.

Powerball tickets are sold in Florida from January 4 and 7 will be the first draw from the new offices at Universal Studios Powerball. Sweepstakes moved to Orlando 16 years after West Des Moines, Iowa

The new center is one of several changes that brings the Powerball to Florida, the state number 30 - in addition to the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia - to participate.

The basis of the draw will increase from $ 15 to $ 20 million, but can go a lot higher. The biggest Powerball prize was $ 365 million, shared by eight people in a meat packing Nebraska in 2006.

The inclusion of players from Florida will give more money, lottery officials said, while it is projected that the average number of prizes will reach $ 141 million, an increase compared with the current figure of $ 96 million. But the odds of winning are lower. At this time are in a 146 million less than in other drawings.

Authorities in Florida Lottery decided in June to join the Powerball to increase the meager income of the state. Although he had previously said it would add the Powerball cannibalize other games, Leo DiBenigno, director of the Florida Lottery, said that now collect millions of dollars for education.

"We are a business and offer the customer what they want'', he said DiBenigno to The Miami Herald.

The money from Powerball tickets to be sold in Florida will stay here and 40 percent will go to education.

Last year, Powerball generated between $ 2500 and $ 3000 million, which was divided between prizes and state funds. It is expected that the addition of Florida's leading annual sales of $ 3000 to $ 3500 million.

Florida voters approved the lottery in 1986 to assist in the financing of education. State games generated about $ 4000 million annually in ticket sales and the figure about $ 1200 million going to education.

Meanwhile, the decline of the economy has also affected Florida Lottery and sales have dropped $ 125 million - about 7.5 percent - since July. At that rate, this year the state would lose about $ 90 million in funds for education.

Other games in Florida have also been affected this year. Bets on the premises parimutuales fell 17 percent between July and October and slot machines fell about 13 percent during the same period, officials reported.

The authorities in the hope that the Powerball lottery is a big boost for the games.

"When people play the lottery to use their discretionary funds''said Connie Barnes, Director of Communications of Florida Lottery." Every time the economy faces difficulties, people spend less. We have experienced a drop in sales''Barnes said, "but we anticipate that the new game will be a success.''

While gas stations and other businesses are prepared to sell Powerball tickets, the lottery run by the state to promote the game and tell the public how to play. The tour will be in the Powerball Sawgrass Mills mall in Broward 4 to 9 pm next Tuesday and in the Dadeland Mall in Miami-Dade 4 to 9 pm on Friday of the week.

However, the players might consider traveling to the area northwest of the state in search of the jackpot.

State Line Store Gift Shop in Walnut Hill - close to the border between Alabama and Florida, not far from Mississippi - had a number of impressive winners. The establishment sold two winning Fantasy 5 tickets early this month, each worth more than $ 120,000, and in November of a Lotto ticket won $ 4600.

Dee Hadley, owner of the business, said it expects to sell Powerball tickets since his shop fortunate. "It will be something wonderful,''Hadley said on Christmas Eve." If we can have a winning Powerball that would give us a great reputation.''