BATON ROUGE — With the Powerball jackpot getting closer to two billion dollars, the excitement is building, despite the extremely long odds of winning.   

If you're pumped about the Powerball jackpot, you're not alone!

The chances of winning the top prize are around one in 292.2 million.

“When the numbers rise into the billions, the reward center of the brain lights up like fireworks," Clinical psychologist Susan Albers said. 

Albers says that it releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in your brain, also known as the "feel-good" hormone; she says the lottery creates what's known as the "what if" fantasy.

“Immediately you begin to imagine in great detail what would happen if you won the lottery, maybe buying a home, buying presents for people, quitting your job, and this imagination takes on a life of its own,” she said.

While Albers says it's completely normal to daydream about that island you'd buy with the winnings but she cautions Powerball fever begins to be a problem when a player spends large amounts of money they don't have or if that money is meant for something else important other red flags include thinking obsessively about the lottery feeling anxious while you wait for numbers to be drawn or if it's impacting relationships or responsibilities.

“Set a limit in terms of dollar amount and frequency in terms of playing the lottery. Think about what you're really craving. Is it excitement, freedom, hope? What is driving you to play the lottery? And there are a lot of different avenues to fulfill that need," Albers said.