The drawing is at 10:59 and at the moment it's the second biggest lottery first-prize payout ever in the United States.
Joni Huddleston, of Hellertown, hands a Powerball ticket to a customer Tuesday at Yeager's Pharmacy where she is a store clerk.
If you are the only winner, you'll be half a billionaire, before taxes. The jackpot as of 6:05 this morning was $500 million. The cash value was $327.4 million, according to the lottery's website.
The drawing is at 10:59 tonight; sales are cut off at least 59 minutes before then. Each ticket costs $2.
At Towne Market on Phillipsburg's South Main Street, they're gearing up for a busy day.
"It's early in the morning so it's kind of slow," Lori Cassar said by phone just after 7 from the store. "But (ticket) sales in general have been busy. ... And today (they will be) even more so because the drawing is tonight."
But because the lottery tickets are now sold in Pennsylvania, there won't be lines out the door as there were in the past when local tickets were sold exclusively in New Jersey, Cassar said.
"It's still busy," she said about big jackpot days, "but we'll still get our regular customers."
Joe Azzalina at Joe's Market on Northampton Street in Downtown Easton may not be available Thursday morning, he said with a laugh just before 7:30 this morning. That's because not only does the market sell Powerball tickets, but he's buying one. Employees can't sell to themselves, he said, so they sell to each other; "It's something we've always done," he said.
So when he wins, he's not answering the phone.
"I'd take care of my family first," he said if he wins the $500 million.
With lottery business doubling in recent days at the market, which also features a popular lunch counter, Azzalina's odds are decreasing.
But he doesn't seem to mind.
Brent Cassar, right, enters Powerball numbers for customer Alberto Almasan on Tuesday evening at the Towne Market in Phillipsburg for today's record drawing.
As for lucky numbers, Azzalina says about 90 percent of Powerball players at the market let the system choose their numbers for them.
"It's completely random," he said.
The odds of winning the top prize are one in 175,223,510, according to the lottery's website. But the odds of winning any prize in the multistate lottery are one in 32; it's one in 55 that you'll win $4. If you're in a long line today, chances are there's a winner of some sort around you.
Dave "Lumpy" Sanders has owned Lump's Center Street Deli in Bethlehem for 25 years and he's having a very busy morning.
"What I'm doing is selling Powerball tickets," he said after one of several breaks in a phone conversation to do business. "It's been one after another. Everybody's happy; everybody has dreams."
Sanders will buy one ticket, and if he wins, he will provide for his wife and five children. He will take the 21-year annuity so they all get checks for years to come. And if the 65-year-old doesn't live to see the last check arrive, he will donate to his favorite charities, he said.
About 20 years ago, there was an Elvis sighting at the deli that made national news. Is Sanders more likely to hit the $500 million lottery or see Elvis again in his deli?
"I'd like to see Elvis; I'm an Elvis fan," he said with his customary upbeat inflection as his mind wandered back. "It was just one of those things. I'm not sure if he was here or not."
But for now, everything is about Powerball.
"It's going to be great," he said. "It's a great day for everybody."
Powerball did pay out more than $25 million in last Saturday's drawing, even though no one matched all five white balls (out of 59) and the red Powerball (out of 35).
If you match the five white balls in any order, but not the Powerball, you win $1 million, according to the website.
Spain's Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad is believed to hold the record for a lottery first prize payout of $939 million last Dec. 24, according to biggeststuff.com.
A March 30 Mega Millions payout to three winners was $656 million, the top U.S. first prize and second overall worldwide; tonight's Powerball would be second in the U.S. and third overall.