Inverness Chase the Ace jackpot expected to top $500K

Chase the Ace fever is once again gripping Inverness, Cape Breton as the jackpot continues to grow to more than halfamillion dollars.

The lottery is like a 50-50 draw, but instead of winning half the value of ticket sales, the winner gets a smaller cut of the take and a chance to draw the ace of spades from a deck of regular playing cards to win the jackpot.

Last Saturday, for the 44th consecutive week, a card other than the ace of spades was drawn.

The jackpot is now nearly $400,000, plus 30 per cent of the tickets sold today. If the ace of spades is drawn by this week's winner, the ticket holder will win about $600,000.

There are now nine cards left in the deck.

Last week, a Sydney Mines woman won $79,000 and had her chance at the jackpot, but didn't draw the ace.

The game has been attracting huge crowds and organizers have had to extend ticket sales.

Parking has also become an issue with extra space now being provided at Inverness Academy and at the local racetrack.

The money raised is intended for the Inverness Cottage Workshop, a place for adults with developmental disabilities. The workshop wants to take over, renovate and expand a building in Inverness.