DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Powerball jackpot has reached a new high of $365 million – making it the largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.

With no winner Wednesday, the multistate Powerball jackpot jumped for tonight’s drawing. The jackpot is expected to spark a frenzy of ticket sales in Maine, New Hampshire and other states where the game is legal.

“It’s been crazy already,” Jasmina Goretic, a clerk at a Dahl’s Food Mart in Des Moines, said Thursday.

The Powerball jackpot tops the previous lottery record, which was $363 million for the Big Game – the forerunner of Mega Millions. It was won by two ticket holders in Illinois and Michigan in 2000.

Powerball’s previous record of $340 million was won by an Oregon family in October.

The chances of winning the jackpot are 1 in 146.1 million. The tickets cost $1 and players try to match six numbers.

The game grew out of the Lotto America game, which started in 1987 in seven states. It evolved into Powerball in 1992 and, since then, more states have been added – now, a total of 28 plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball, is based in Des Moines.

The odds won’t keep Nancy Chavannes, of suburban Windsor Heights, from purchasing a ticket. She said she would be happy with one of the smaller prizes.

“I would take the $100,000, I’m not picky,” she said.

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