Virus leads to cut in lottery jackpots

DES MOINES, Iowa — Hoping to escape all the coronavirus-caused economic uncertainty by winning a giant lottery jackpot?

Think again. Those jackpots are going to shrink as the pandemic tamps down lottery sales.

The group that oversees the Powerball game announced Wednesday that it would cut minimum jackpots from $40 million to $20 million after there is a winner of the current big prize.

The jackpot also could grow more slowly, with minimum increases of $2 million instead of the normal $10 million after each twice-weekly drawing.

The other national lottery game in the United States, Mega Millions, is considering a similar move.