Inside the room where Powerball numbers will be drawn
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- One of the most popular programs on television on Wednesday night will last barely a minute. But by the time it is over, someone could be worth a Powerball fortune.
For two months now, we have watched the Powerball jackpot jump, and jump. A studio in Tallahassee, Florida, is where millions of wannabe millionaires, and now billionaires, see their dreams drop in less than 60 seconds.
Sam Arlen will host Wednesday night's drawing.
"I am thinking about the possibility that I might completely transform someones life," he said.
With more than a billion dollars on the line, the place can feel like Fort Knox.
There's a red plastic lock with a barcode that must match a code kept only by the auditor and eight security cameras. Tom Delacenserie, who is the Secretary of the Florida Lottery, said lottery agents -- called Muscle Agents -- are on standby.
What's a muscle employee?
"A multi-state lottery employee -- they are Powerball workers," said Tom Delacenserie
Two of the four machines, and even the lottery balls, are selected at random.
They are x-rayed, they are weighed to make sure they are all right and they are sealed into a case, Tom Delacenserie explained. As an added precaution, the handlers aren't allowed to touch them with their bare hands.
"They have to have gloved on because we do not want any oils on the balls or moisture on the ball, that could affect the draw," he said.
If no one wins on Wednesday night, the Powerball jackpot could reach $2 billion.