Lottery fever is gripping New York and the rest of the country, with the Powerball jackpot likely to grow beyond $700 million before tonight’s drawing.

As of yesterday, the earlier, $600 million prize was the biggest in Powerball’s 21-year history, and the second-biggest lottery prize ever.

Powerball’s big prize has gone unclaimed since March 30. Ticket sales and the jackpot size got a boost on April 7 when California joined the game for the first time.

The biggest US lottery prize ever was a $656 million Mega Millions drawing in March 2012.