Lotteries

M

MikeH

Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
4,611
I am always kinda perplexed when a lottery payout gets really big, and people start flocking in droves to buy tickets. Here in Alabama they drive to Georgia in masses. So the thought process has to go something like this?

"For a measly $10 million it isn't worth my time and trouble, but for $400 million I might as well go get some tickets."
 
The lines at the gas stations are insane around here for the mega-millions too! I can actually say I have never bought a lottery ticket in my entire life, well not other than little $1 scratch off ones. I know my luck isn't in the lotto.
 
It just amuses me that people apparently won't go to the same effort to win only a few million.

My personal opinion on lotteries:

I am not preaching to anyone about lotteries. I attend church with very devout people who never fail to buy their tickets.
My personal experience with lotteries is mine alone and I would never attempt to impose it on anyone else.

I was coming back home from a Southern Company training course in Georgia years ago. just short of the Alabama line I stopped to buy gas, and noted that they also sold lottery tickets. Having never bought one, I decided to give it a go.
There were two people in line ahead of me. The first was an elderly black man who, to say the least, didn't look very prosperous. Behind him was an old black woman who looked to be in worse shape than him. Her old sweater had numerous holes in it, and she looked like she could use a good meal. As I stood there waiting, I had the thought, "What am I doing?
I asm hoping to take money from these very people if I buy a ticket." I couldn't follow through with it. Still can't.
 
I am not going to lie...I drove at the speed of light the night the 1/2 billion dollars was on the line...The gas station attendant told me every possible number combination was already picked by 3:00 pm that day..... :( No millions for this girl. Maybe next time :D
 
I completely agree. I play mega millions every round and the drive for high jackpots seems silly. If you won the lowest 12 Million jack pot you'd get 4.3-4.7 million dollars depending on your state. At 1% return (which you can get in savings accounts) you'll get 40,000$ a year. With good accounting you don't really even need to be a good investor. For me, I don't play because I think I'll win - I play because it's a cheap thrill for 2$ a week, or 108$ a year. 108$ is a lot, but it can't really buy that much. Much cheaper than gambling, cigarettes, beer, or even soda. If I did win it would be awesome, but even if I don't it's still fun. The size of the jackpot doesn't really increase/decrease the odds and the lowest is still excellent. Not that I think I'll win, but it's a cheap thrill and technically it could happen.
 
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Up here in the Great White North we have two big loteries . The Super 7 and the 649 . The Super 7 tops out at 50 million and then they just add extra 1 million dollar prizes as more people buy tickets . So sometime there is a 50 million top prize and then as many as 30 extra 1 million dollar prizes . The 649 is usually between the 3 million sarting pot and has gone to near 30 million on rare cooasion .

I usually buy a 649 when the Super 7 pot is high because everyone is buying Super 7 and the odds get sooooooooooooo slightly better on the 649 lol .

Of corse the nice thing here in Canada is that you get ALL that you win . If you win a 50 million dollar prize , you get the whole 50 million dollars tax free . :D


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
In 2008 a local fella bought the winning ticket for 267 Million dollars at a little gas station here in Lyons, OH just across the street from the Post Office where we make all of our shipments. :eek: . . . . The next day, 43 people mysteriously slipped and fell on the sidewalk in front of his house.:confused: He moved to Colorado the next week and nobody has heard from him since then. Makes me wonder if the winner had been in Colorado, would he have moved here the next week?

I suppose the grass is always greener. . . . .

I prefer the phoney lotto tickets that you can buy that fool people into thinking that they won 10 million dollars!!! I put 'em in my desk drawer and then pass them out when everyone is drunk!!!! It has proven to be the best way to get a troublesome employee to quit!!!!!! :eek:;)

Personally I would rather invest in scotch. . . . :thumbup:

Jerry
 
Jerry Busse said:
In 2008 a local fella bought the winning ticket for 267 Million dollars at a little gas station here in Lyons, OH just across the street from the Post Office where we make all of our shipments. :eek: . . . . The next day, 43 people mysteriously slipped and fell on the sidewalk in front of his house.:confused: He moved to Colorado the next week and nobody has heard from him since then. Makes me wonder if the winner had been in Colorado, would he have moved here the next week?

I suppose the grass is always greener. . . . .

I prefer the phoney lotto tickets that you can buy that fool people into thinking that they won 10 million dollars!!! I put 'em in my desk drawer and then pass them out when everyone is drunk!!!! It has proven to be the best way to get a troublesome employee to quit!!!!!! :eek:;)

Personally I would rather invest in scotch. . . . :thumbup:

Jerry
Click to expand...

Now I realize that you are exaggerating about the 43 people, but hell even one person doing it is so freaking lame. I remember a story, cant remember if it was a friend of mine that saw this or I heard about it ( my memory sucks). Anyway they were filming a big accident scene for a movie involving I believe a bus. A woman walked by and after seeing everyone laying down looking hurt but not realizing it was part of a movie, she laid down too and started to act hurt. There were a couple of real cops there to keep order and one saw her do it. They arrested her on the spot.

Made my day when I heard that one.
 
Jerry , it looks like you'll be hitting the lottrey Monday night when the closet door opens LOL . Cheers :very_drunk:


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS !
 
MikeH, I agree. To me, while it would be awesome to win, it would probably do me more harm than good. Plus if I won, I agree with your view that I would be taking money from others (even though they willingly gave it). People are funny in various ways.
 
The real problem is that they always pick the wrong numbers...


If not for that fact, I'd be rich! :D


.
 
Never played a lotto other than a few scatch offs here and there. I just save all the money i would spend on tickets and then once a year go to Vegas and lose it all there. That way i atleast get a vacation out of it.

Garth
 
My favorite part about the lottery is seeing the people that win. Then you hear a story about how they have spent the entire winnings and are now broke. How does that happen. LOL
 
I play very little and it is only when the jackpot gets above 200 million. At that point your are at least getting fair odds on your money. That is if you are the only winner. Odds against winning are something like 176 million to one. In poker it's called pot odds.
 
skorpyd said:
I play very little and it is only when the jackpot gets above 200 million. At that point your are at least getting fair odds on your money. That is if you are the only winner. Odds against winning are something like 176 million to one. In poker it's called pot odds.
Click to expand...

When did they change the numbers? Used to be 80 million to 1. So I have been playing at 100 Million.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Millions
June 22, 2005 (current) 1 out of 56 1 out of 46 1:175,711,536
Right now with the current matrix your odds of winning the lotto are 1 to 175.7 million. You get a higher chance of there being a winner with the higher jackpots since there are more combinations being drawn, but an individual players odds always stand at 1:175.7 million per ticket.
 
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