posted
Yes, yes, the odds suck and it's generally a waste of money. But so many things are a waste of money. I was driving home from class and was thinking about pulling into McDonalds to grab some ice cream, and suddenly the idea hit me to spend the money on a lotto ticket. I mean, I was going to waste it on unhealthy food anyways. And the thrill of potentially winning $12 million dollars is exhilarating right now- totally worth $1.
How many others occasionally waste a dollar on the lottery?
Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
We do a sort of cool thing at the holidays... (there aren't any scratch ticket folk in my family). Everyone gets 5 one dollar tickets. The five who win the most get a few 5 dollar tickets... Whoever wins the most gets a couple 10 dollar tickets. It's a great time - people are trying to snatch tickets out of each others' hands in a playful way and usually the winnings go to the younger bunch no matter who wins. It makes for a fun event! : )
As for picking numbers and stuff, I've only done it a few times on a whim.
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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I do sometimes, but not for a long time. Lottery tickets make me mad... Especially when I see these poxy people WIN SOMETHING and BUY ANOTHER LOTTERY TICKET! Instead of keeping the money! Why do people do that? The lottery doesn't need more money. I do!
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Amanecer: Yes, yes, the odds suck and it's generally a waste of money. But so many things are a waste of money. I was driving home from class and was thinking about pulling into McDonalds to grab some ice cream, and suddenly the idea hit me to spend the money on a lotto ticket. I mean, I was going to waste it on unhealthy food anyways. And the thrill of potentially winning $12 million dollars is exhilarating right now- totally worth $1.
How many others occasionally waste a dollar on the lottery?
I don't play (yes irony I live in NV but don't gamble). However, I've always viewed buying 1 ticket a bit like a secular version of Pascal's Wager. Buying any more than one though, is pretty pointless, statistically speaking.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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Heh - here's the funny part. When I saw your question, I couldn't remember. So I called my Mom to ask her - she, my Dad AND my brother still at home couldn't remember...
I know it's been enough to get a little excited about but no 'instant thousandaires' in the family to speak of...
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
I seem to recall reading that as long as money spent on the lottery has no effect on your standard of living (like a ticket a week or somesuch), even though such purchases don't make statistical sense, they still make economic sense. The standard of living increase from a lottery win is significant; the standard of living decrease from the occasional ticket purchase is not.
Obviously, it's still a silly idea to spend any significant amount of money on the lottery.
Posts: 1466 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
BTW, buying a lottery ticket can make sense, statistically, once the jackpot amount is over the odds to win(*)
-Bok
(*) - Actually it needs to be somewhat higher than the odds, since there is always the chance you have to split the jackpot with someone else.
Posts: 7021 | Registered: Nov 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Amanecer: cmc- that sounds like a ton of fun! What's the most anybody ever won out of it?
T-Smith- Hmmm, a plane ticket... that's getting pricey now. Where do you want to go?
To your place for the ice cream.
And, since we're on the subject, I also need a Ferrari to eat my ice cream in. You can take care of that, right?
Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002
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LOL!!! It's a moot point now since I didn't win and don't plan on playing again any time soon. But you know, had I, I'd totally have sponsored a Hatrack get together with airfare and hotel stay included. Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I get one ticket every two years or so. I figure that just in case God wants to give me a whole lot of money, I can do my part in making it plausible.
Plus the day or two of fantasizing about what I'd do with the winnings are worth a dollar. Posts: 884 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Amanecer: Yes, yes, the odds suck and it's generally a waste of money. But so many things are a waste of money. I was driving home from class and was thinking about pulling into McDonalds to grab some ice cream, and suddenly the idea hit me to spend the money on a lotto ticket. I mean, I was going to waste it on unhealthy food anyways. And the thrill of potentially winning $12 million dollars is exhilarating right now- totally worth $1.
How many others occasionally waste a dollar on the lottery?
When I do, I consider it part of my entertainment budget. On the rare occasions that I win anything, I consider it "found money".
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Amanecer: LOL!!! It's a moot point now since I didn't win and don't plan on playing again any time soon. But you know, had I, I'd totally have sponsored a Hatrack get together with airfare and hotel stay included.
Fine. How about a Ferrari cake instead?
Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002
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starLisa - Are you my Mother??!! If she were to buy a ticket and win, I'm almost positive that's how she'd record it, too. I could hear her voice as I was reading that...
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
So this guy goes into church and prays. "God!" he asks, "To you, what is a thousand years."
Surprisingly God answers. "To me, a thousand years is but a second."
So the man asks again, "God, to you what is a million dollars?"
And God answers again, "To me, a million dollars is but a penny."
So the man thinks. "God, can you give me a penny?"
And God responds, "In a second."
Remember, God helps those who help themselves, so he won't let you win the lottery unless you buy the ticket first.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I don't - part of the reason I stopped doing scratch/lotto and 95% of my gambling is because I couldn't stop thinking of it as a way to tell if God existed or not and, if he did, whether he gave a damn about me. Mix in drinking and you have some really, really unenjoyable evenings.
I don't recommend it. =D
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I don't do the lottery... I did it a coupla times when I first came to CA but I kept forgettingto check the numbers (I'm sure I'm a multi-millionair and don't know it.. cept I'm past the claiming deadline if I am.)
posted
In Taiwan they do an awesome receipt lottery sytem. Here is how it works:
Basically EVERY single receipt you get has an official stamp of the lottery and a number on it. The thoery behind it is as follow:
In an effort to get merchants to keep things on the books, the government came up with the Receipt Lottery. The theory being, with millions in winnings on the line, customers would start demanding receipts with every purchase and merchants would wind up with all their income on the books.
Every 25th of the month the winning numbers are announced and you go through all your receipts searching for matches. Whats awesome about it is even minor matches yield cash. Heres how it is rewarded.
If any of the last 3 digits of any receipt match the last 3 digits of any of the winning numbers (there are 5 winning numbers every month)
You get $200 TB = about $6.33 US. And you have to spend it at a 7-11 or any other like store. In Taiwan there are hundreds of those stores everywhere and with good reason, they are AWESOME. The food and drinks they offer are just smashing.
If you have 4 matching numbers you get $1000 TB which = about $30.33 US. You redeem these receipts at a bank and they give you the money straight up.
5 matching numbers = $10,000 TB which = $303.33 US
6 matching = 100,000 TB which = $3030.33 US
7 matching = 500,000 which = $15151 US
Finally 8 matching yields 3,000,000 TB which = $909090.90 US.
Its so much fun to just keep all your receipts which helps you budget your money properly, and pick up that extra pocket change every month. I always had at least 1 receipt with 3 matching numbers each month and because food costs are so much lower in Taiwan then they are in the US I ate like a king every time I won, or else I bought a phone card which is also VERY useful in Taiwan.
One month as I went through my receipts I had 7 of 8 digits matching but it was the 2nd to last digit that was wrong. I was SO mad that I came that close to picking up 3,000,000 TB.
Even with so much value being attached to your receipts alot of people just throw their receipts away or else often times outside the store they have charity boxes that you can deposit your receipts in.
For me its not gambling because I never purchased anything with the intent of getting more receipts, I simply profited by keeping all my receipts I gained through my everyday expenditures.
I really wish they did something like that in the US. They are starting to do it all over China and Japan.
Did you ever play this Bao?
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Nope, I didn't. Guess I was just apathetic about it which is a shame- it could have been a lot of fun.
BTW, I don't know if the posts about statistics were in response to me, but for those not familiar with Pascal's Wager, I was saying it is worth it to buy 1 ticket per period. It has low cost that doesn't measurably negatively impact you, potential for high winning which would be a great positive. I thought I made a clever, but no one got it Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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BQT: I got and and I thought it was a great analogy. Especially since, when I did play the lottery years ago, that was exactly my rational.
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Bao, I thought it was very clever. It made me smile and everything.
BlackBlade, that sounds awesome!
T_Smith, if I ever win $12 million dollars, I'll get you ice cream, a plane ticket, and ferrari cake, and that is all. Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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