Phillies fans rather win World Series lottery than Powerball- QHN

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Lottery fever has taken over Philadelphia, between the Powerball jackpot, and fans scrambling to win tickets to the World Series back home. But for many, the odds are stacked against them.

Fans tell CBS3 they’ve been distracted all day waiting for Game 1 Friday evening and this city can’t wait for Game 3 in Philly. But the odds of winning the ticket lottery to get seats inside the bank are steep and some say they rather win that lottery more than the Powerball jackpot.

“I won the lottery in 2008, so I can’t complain,” fan Tim Kline said. 

Kline and his family stopped outside Citizens Bank Park to take pictures before heading home to Kentucky. He tried to score a spot inside the Bank for the World Series through the ticket lottery but he struck out.

“We tried the lottery but it didn’t work. That’s fine I went in 08 with my dad right after my twins were born,” Kline said.  

“There’s still times I’m trying to wake myself up like we’re actually going to the World Series next week. It feels like it’s still a dream to me,” Jerrold Reber said. 

But Jerrold Reber in Berks County is one of the lucky ones.

The Phillies say more than a million fans entered the ticket lottery but only about 20,000 tickets were available over the three home games.

A statistician at Rowan University says the odds of winning are about 1 in 100.

“Can’t win if you don’t try, that’s the only thing I think about,” Buddy Campbell said. 

Buddy Campbell didn’t try for tickets to the World Series but he’s taking a swing at the Powerball jackpot now at $825 million.

The odds of winning that lottery, roughly 1 in 292 million.

“It only takes one to win and that’s all my dreams come true,” John McKinney said. 

Reber says money is great but watching the Phils in person in the World Series is better.