Author Topic: Do you buy lottery tickets? (Read 607 times)

« **on:** March 22, 2004, 10:26:03 AM »

I have to admit that I do buy California Lottery tickets, but I don\'t know why. The odds of winning are absurd, and I\'m a rational enough person that I usually avoid losing games like this one. What really annoys me about the California Lottery is that it\'s not possible to win any reasonable amount of money. I\'m not talking about the Jackpot; I mean just a few thousand dollars. The odds against even those payouts are ridiculous also.

For example, here are the winning tickets from the last drawing:

Winning
Match Tickets Payout

5 + Mega 0 $22,000,000
5 4 $38,449
4 + Mega 59 $1,303
4 1,413 $90
3 + Mega 2,098 $54
3 55,818 $10
2 + Mega 27,836 $11
1 + Mega 135,320 $2
Mega 202,958 $1

Our lottery as five numbers which range from 1 to 47, and one "mega" number which is a value from 1 to 27. In order to even win $1,303, you have to match 4 numbers plus the Mega number. The odds against it are 197,221 : 1! The odds against hitting the jackpot are 41,416,353 : 1.

I used to think that if I bought a lottery ticket, I was simply buying the entertainment of wondering what it would be like to win. I could dream about it for 2-3 days until the drawing when my dreams would inevitably be shattered once again. It\'s an emotional rollercoaster, let me tell you.

Now, I don\'t even dream about it that much anymore. I know I\'m going to lose but for some reason I keep buying the tickets anyway. I don\'t have a gambling problem. If I did, wouldn\'t I be getting some enjoyment out of this? Besides, I don\'t blow a huge amount of dough on the tickets. Only about $5 a week, if I remember to buy the tickets.

GmanJoe · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2004, 10:31:55 AM »

I buy the PowerBall ticket. I spent $5 and won $4 back.

I rule.

« **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2004, 11:21:20 AM »

Only when the jackpot is huge!

Kurt Angle · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2004, 11:41:18 AM »

3 lines every Saturday without fail.

« **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2004, 12:08:41 PM »

Shit I buy everytime the jackpots get huge or I feel the urge to buy one.

I know ppl that will play every single day.

I wish I could hit for the big jackpot I would tell a lot ppl in my family to kiss my ass:D

videoholic · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2004, 01:02:41 PM »

I buy a quick pick about 3 or 4 a year. Whenever I have a dollar screaming to be let go.

« **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2004, 02:16:34 PM »

i buy when when i get the urge to buy one, which is very rarely, few times a year

« **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2004, 09:35:09 PM »

Never did, never will.

« **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2004, 07:08:34 AM »

I buy occasionally. While the odds are absurd... well... Every week there are on average four new multimillionairs made in Canada just on the national two lotteries. Assuming that 1 in three people play the lotto of the total population (that includes little kids and such), that\'s about a 4 in 10 million chance, 1 in 2.5 million. It\'s not quite that, since I \'m sure lots of those people who do buy tickets buy dozens and stuff, but hey... somone\'s gotta win.

I usually buy them when nobody\'s won for a few draws, and the pot is getting way up there.,

videoholic · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2004, 07:52:07 AM »

But the odds of you sharing the pot are extremely increased when the pot goes up since more people are buying tickets. So quite often the big pots end up like a regular one.

« **Reply #10 on:** March 23, 2004, 08:04:04 AM »

Im thinking more along the lines of the super 7 one we have... it\'s only won once in a while, since you need 7 of 7 numbers (49 total). I can\'t recall a time it\'s been split more than 2 ways.

A couple months ago a student about 400 km from my house won 20 million.

Hello

Poll

Do you buy lottery tickets?