Could Millbrae Have a New Millionaire?

California's first Powerball winner could be crowned Wednesday, and the idea of becoming an instant millionaire has folks abuzz.

California residents started buying Powerball tickets on Monday, when the lottery contest officially kicked into gear. The jackpot starts at $40 million and increases by at least $10 million every draw if there is no jackpot winner. The drawing is Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.

Clinton Newberry at the 7-11 on Crestmoor Drive in San Bruno said his customers are definitely excited about the new lottery game and that tickets are selling very well. Other stores in the San Bruno, Burlingame and Millbrae areas said ticket sales were steady, but slow, and that customers weren't sure how Powerball works.

“We have to continually offer our loyal players a variety of entertaining Lottery games, and we firmly believe that POWERBALL is a right fit for the California Lottery,” Lottery Director Robert T. O’Neill stated on the California Lottery website. “I expect POWERBALL to add anywhere between $50 to $100 million additional dollars to supplement public education funding, which is our one and only mission. Plus, our customers were pretty clear that they wanted us to bring POWERBALL to California.”

California was one of the last states to join the multi-state game.