Odds of dying in a freak fireworks accident: 1 in 954,786. Of being attacked by a shark: one in eight million.

And when Florida joins Powerball in January, 2009, the already tough odds of hitting the multistate jackpot will increase to 1 in 198 million.

But, bad economy be damned, lottery experts are betting that Powerball's big-money appeal will get thousands of Floridians to plop down their ''discretionary dollars'' for a chance to win.

Powerball tickets go on sale in Florida Jan. 4, 2009, and the first drawing is Jan. 7 from Powerball's new digs at Universal Studios. The drawings are moving to Orlando after a 16-year run in West Des Moines, Iowa.

The physical move is one of several changes coming from Powerball's addition of Florida -- the 30th state, plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, to participate.

Base jackpots will increase to $20 million from $15 million, but can go much, much higher. The biggest Powerball payoff was a $365 million jackpot split by eight (presumably former) workers at a Nebraska meatpacking factory in 2006.

The inclusion of Florida players will sweeten the pots, lottery officials said, with average jackpots expected to reach $141 million, up from the current $96 million. But we'll also lessen everyone's odds of winning. (Chances now are about one in 146 million for the jackpot, less for other prizes).

Florida Lottery officials in July decided to reverse their long-held stance against joining Powerball to bolster the state's sagging revenues. Although he previously had said adding Powerball would ''cannibalize'' the state's other games, Lottery Director Leo DiBenigno now says it will raise millions of dollars for the education system.

''We're a business, and we're offering what the customer wants,'' DiBenigno told The Miami Herald.

Money from Powerball tickets sold in Florida will remain in the state, with about 40 percent of the revenue to go into the Sunshine State's education coffers.

Last year, Powerball generated about $2.5 billion to $3 billion, which was split between prizes and state funds. Florida's addition is expected to bring annual sales to $3 billion to $3.5 billion.

Florida voters approved lottery gaming in 1986 to help fund education.

(Some voters have since felt it was a bit of a bait-and-switch, in that it was sold as a way to supplement education funding but became a primarysource of education money.)

In any event, it has annually generated about $4 billion from ticket sales, of which about $1.2 billion goes toward education. But this year, the economy has dealt a punch to the lottery, with sales down $125 million -- about 7.5 percent -- since July. At that pace, the state would lose about $90 million in education funding this year.

Other forms of gambling in Florida have taken a hit as well. Bets at parimutuel facilities were down 17 percent between July and October, and slot machine gaming was down about 13 percent in the same period, state officials reported.

Lottery officials are hoping Powerball gives gaming a boost.

''When people play the lottery games, they are using their discretionary dollars,'' said Connie Barnes, communications director for the Florida Lottery. ''Whenever the economy gets tight, people make cutbacks. We have seen a tightening up.'' Added Barnes: ``We fully anticipate that the game will be a hit.''

As gas stations and other retailers get ready to sell Powerball tickets, lottery officials are touring the state to hype the game and tell people how to play. The Powerball Tour comes to Sawgrass Mills in Broward County from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and to Dadeland Mall in Miami-Dade from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday .

But players might want to consider a trip to the Panhandle for the best chance to strike it rich.

The State Line Gift Shop in Walnut Hill -- a stone's throw from the Alabama-Florida border and not far from Mississippi -- has had an impressive run of lottery winners. It sold winning two winning Fantasy 5 tickets earlier this month, each worth more than $120,000, and a Florida Lotto ticket that won $4,600 in November.

State Line owner Dee Hadley said she is looking forward to selling Powerball tickets from her lucky little shop.

''We think it is just going to be wonderful,'' Hadley said on Christmas Eve. ``If we could have a Powerball winner it would really put us on the map.''

Florida has decided to offer the multi-state, mega-jackpot game of Powerball beginning in January, 2009. (Link to Miami Herald)

Powerball is run by the nonprofit Multi-State Lottery Association. Its 31-member board of directors consists of lottery directors from each participating state and district.