The largest lottery prize in U.S. history is drawing some attention north of the border, as many Canadians seem to have noticed that the Powerball jackpot's $1.4 billion converts to a neat $2 billion in their local currency.

Canadians have been flocking across the border in order to purchase Powerball tickets ahead of the Jan. 13 drawing, CBS News reported. One player, Shari Ann, told the network that she who drove nearly two hours from Ontario to cross into the United States to participate in the lottery.

"I'm going to take my chances just like everyone else," Ann said. "We come here and drop a lot of money on a regular basis. We shop in the U.S. a lot. So we give to you. It's time to give back!"

"They're coming like crazy here for the lotto"

Alex Traverso of the California State Lottery, meanwhile, confirmed the influx of neighbors.

"The Canadians -- they're coming like crazy here for the lotto," Traverso said. "You don't have to be a U.S. citizen to buy a Powerball ticket; as long as you're buying your tickets at an authorized retail location, then that's fine with us."

The official Powerball website, meanwhile, echoes Traverso's statement, noting that you do not need to be a U.S. citizen -- or even a permanent U.S. resident -- to participate in the multistate lottery. According to the site, even a tourist visiting the country can have a chance at the billion-dollar win.

U.S. immigration law complicates cross-border purchases

But while there are no restrictions on buying Powerball tickets in U.S. states that participate in the lottery, some foreigners have run into trouble with their ticket purchases anyway, CTV News detailed. Immigration law prohibits travelers from importing lottery tickets, meaning Canadians cannot legally bring the stubs back into the United States.

"We got a bit of a lecture from the border guard, saying that you can buy a ticket, but you can't take it back into Canada and then come back to the United States," British Columbia resident Lisa Yuen told the Canadian network about her recent Powerball trip.

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