Comments on: Comments on 9568

Post number 9568

yarf — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 07:14:30 -0800

Lottery Madness Grips the Delusional Nation
Odds of winning Powerball: 80 million to one
Odds of dying in an airplane crash: 7 million to one
Odds of being hit by lightening: 600,000 to one
Odds of perishing in a California earthquake: 600,000 to one
Odds of dying in an automobile accident: 20,000 to one

While legalized gambling may suck, at least your life is priceless?

By: RustyBrooks

RustyBrooks — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 08:03:34 -0800

People might call the lottery a tax on the stupid... But I know lots of people that play. I guess they operate on the "but someone has to win" principle.

By: Irontom

Irontom — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 08:13:12 -0800

By definition, sooner or later somebody has to. As long as I don't spend the kid's college tuition on it, why the vehement denouncements?

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 08:30:12 -0800

Hell, if you're gonna gamble, at least do it respectably, w/ cards or dice or horses or somesuch.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 08:33:25 -0800

Odds of perishing in a California earthquake: 600,000 to one I don't live in California, and I don't plan to visit. Do these odds also apply to me?

By: darukaru

darukaru — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 08:33:57 -0800

Bitching about lotteries is a good way to feel like you're saving the masses from their own stupidity without actually having to expend any effort. Anyway, as long as the lottery proceeds go to a good cause, I don't see a problem with it. Does the Powerball fund any programs in the states which participate?

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:17:57 -0800

Using lottery proceeds to fund education is a fairly lame excuse. That money would've come from somewhere, via other, less regressive, taxes. And once states start relying on lottery funds for education, they stop appropriating "standard" funds, so the funding level is pretty much the same, with or without the lottery. I don't like the idea of the state sanctioning gambling. Bad feelings about that. Heh, that said.... $200,000,000?!? I have two tickets. Will update tomorrow, if I win.

By: pup

pup — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:19:44 -0800

damn, i just threw 2 bucks at the powerball. i should have wasted my money on something a little more useful. like playing time crisis at the arcade. it's worth 2 bucks to me. i was going to waste the money on something just as useless anyway. besides, would you want to be the poor guy that DIDN'T chip in to his office pool if it hits just because you know math?

By: racer271

racer271 — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:26:20 -0800

I used to work with Lottery organizations all over the US and from what I have seen and heard I don't believe for a second that lottery proceeds are going where they want you to believe they are going. The organization that runs powerball is called MUSL (multi-state lottery).

By: Uncle Joe's Brother

Uncle Joe's Brother — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:31:03 -0800

It is not so much the belief I will win at Powerball, it is more the thirty minutes or so that I get to fantasize what I would do if I won.

By: jdbanks

jdbanks — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:35:01 -0800

MrMoonPie is quite correct. In Arizona, once lottery proceeds started rolling in and going to education (and other areas approved by voters), the state Legislature began reducing spending in those areas by similar amounts. When Arizona joined the Powerball, our own twice-weekly big jackpot lottery took a nose dive, so there is now even less money to go around.

By: thunder

thunder — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 09:57:55 -0800

"Never tell me the odds" - Han Solo *grin*

By: jedwin

jedwin — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 10:43:41 -0800

"lotteries are tax for stupid people" agree?

By: jpoulos

jpoulos — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 11:35:38 -0800

jdbanks has it right. education and other worthwhile programs may still get funded, but the burden of paying for them gets skewed towards the poor. IMLO (In My Liberal Opinion) that's bad.

By: kittyb

kittyb — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 12:00:46 -0800

I've never bought a ticket in my whole life, and I just discreetly and sheepishly slipped a couple of bucks into the office pool. Chalk it up to just re-watching Waking Ned Devine the other day. For the rest of the day, I'll daydream about what I'll do with my share of the millions. Tomorrow I'll realize I didn't win and go back to being the jaded harpy that I am.

By: Wicker

Wicker — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 12:06:15 -0800

This is just going from memory as a former state lottery employee. I think sales figures showed most lottery tickets are purchased by white middle-class males. Oh and I'am pretty sure I got a memo saying all lottery funds would go to lining the pockets of the rich.

By: aramaic

aramaic — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 12:33:02 -0800

In the monstrously-unlikely event that I am the sole winner of $200mil, I here and now make the following pledge: there will be one hell of a Metafilter contest, with more than one prize. I'm not sure what the contest will be -- ask me after I win. But I promise it won't involve savage beatings at the hands of my secret police.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 12:44:56 -0800

jedwin: i heard it as 'lotteries are a tax on people who cannot do math'. years ago, i invested $5 on a michigan lotto ticket for which the computer chose the numbers. 4 numbers matched and i received a $100 payout. i've remained $95 ahead of the game ever since and i see no reason to risk changing that status!

By: kindall

kindall — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 13:52:03 -0800

Looking at the catalog of odds that started this thread, I was moved to wonder: where are the odds of the Pope being struck by a meteor?

By: darukaru

darukaru — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 14:30:05 -0800

Calculate the odds of being struck by a meteor, then divide by six billion?

By: ed

ed — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 14:52:58 -0800

Minimum amount of money for California Lotto ticket: $1 Minimum amount of money for one hand at a blackjack table in Reno or Vegas: $5 Amount of time it takes for California Lotto cycle to be played out if you purchased a ticket on Thursday morning for the Saturday Lotto: A little under three days Amount of time it takes for cycle to be played out if you put $5 onto a blackjack table in Reno or Vegas for one bet: 57 seconds Amount to pump a full tank of gas in your car for trip to Reno or Vegas: $25 Odds that you'll stay in Reno or Vegas for an extended period of time given that you pumped $25 of gas in your car and paid for a hotel room: 2 to one Odds that you'll stick around a convenience store until Saturday until the Lotto numbers hit on your $1 ticket (barring insanity): 300,000 to one Total price for someone who came to a convenience store to buy a $1 Lotto Ticket: $1 (unless they go hog-wild and spend an extra $4 for five Quick Picks) Total average price for someone to go to Reno or Vegas and play $100 (minus hotel room, gas or food): $180, if they lose

By: AVandalay

AVandalay — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 16:21:40 -0800

"Statistics can be manipulated to say whatever you want. 45% of the people know that" Homer Simpson

By: ed

ed — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 16:33:57 -0800

"There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." -- Mark Twain

By: skallas

skallas — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 16:36:12 -0800

If lottery winnings are equal or greater than 100 million expect obligatory TV coverage of long lines at gas stations and pedants quoting odds like scripture. Aren't you guys a little sick of yourselves? This happens all the time, most if not all lottery buyers know the odds by now and don't care. The fantasy of being unbelievably wealthy is worth $5 to $50 once in a while to most Americans. Someone ends up winning and there's the obligatory "I'm not quitting my job" TV soundbite. Everyone gets jealous and waits for the next +100 million to do the same thing over again.

By: Option1

Option1 — Wed, 22 Aug 2001 20:11:00 -0800

Personally, I couldn't give a fuck where the money from lotteries goes just as long as the winner's check goes into my pocket. I'm already practicing my "I'm quitting my job and buying this TV station" quote.

By: Electric Elf

Electric Elf — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 01:42:51 -0800

Well, it looks like nobody won again (according to the official Powerball site, that is...). It's a good thing I didn't join the office pool, as they were expecting $20 out of each person. They finally dropped it down to $10 for the last two runs. I still haven't put in. One of our field service guys called me around 8 from the parking lot of a gas station and he said it was full of people buying nothing but lottery tickets. I guess there are a lot of people who aren't any good at math out there, or it's another case of people who only buy tickets when the jackpot goes over 100 million.

By: Rockames

Rockames — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:10:47 -0800

If the odds of winning are 1 in 80 million (not to mention the odds of winning non jackpot prizes), isn't it economically sound to play anytime the jackpot exceeds $80 million?

By: Wicker

Wicker — Fri, 24 Aug 2001 12:37:14 -0800

Sounds good Rockames.... clerk: How can I help you sir? Rockames: Yes I'd like to buy 80,089,128 Powerball tickets clerk: That's wonderful ! First I need you to fill out 80,089,128 playslips with every combination :) Rockames: Yeah, ok I'll be right back. sorry just having fun...It would take FOREVER to not just fill them all out, but running them through a terminal would take days. Ask racer271 he might know how long it would take?

By: Rockames

Rockames — Fri, 24 Aug 2001 14:04:52 -0800

I've been told someone (well many someones) tried to do this in virginia. A group of investors went to hundreds of different sites and tried to buy every number. They only got about halfway through but won the jackpot and a ton of the lesser prizes anyway. The practice has been outlawed since.

By: Wicker

Wicker — Sat, 25 Aug 2001 10:12:04 -0800

Good for them :) Not surprising they would make it illegal.

By: {savg*pncl}

{savg*pncl} — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 19:09:50 -0800

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. An umemployed programmer in Kentucky stepped forward with one of the tickets thanking Jesus (of course). The news media was quick to tell us he has been drawing unemployment for 2 months since being laid off at Nortel.

By: ParisParamus

ParisParamus — Sun, 26 Aug 2001 19:22:49 -0800

The lottery is stupid. But is it really any more stupid than spending $8 or $10 on a bad film? Tha't probably the real test.

By: jpoulos

jpoulos — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 09:11:36 -0800

Yes I'd like to buy 80,089,128 Powerball tickets hey! I've had that idea for some time. I don't know if I'm glad to see it actually worked, or if I'm disappointed I didn't try it first. On a side note, I'd like to point out Mo Nickels' tips for how to protect yourself if you actually win the lottery from a previous thread. It's some of the best advice I've found on MeFi (even though I'll never be lucky enough to use it).