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Lottery... Who plays and why?

Do you play the lottery, If you do why?

  • I play lucky numbers!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    47
  • Poll closed .

brungeman

I give a shirt
Jan 17, 2006
5,170
0
da Burgh
OK... so who here plays the lottery and why?

when I was 18 I was invited to go on a ski trip with some friends... I only had $25 bucks and I had no one to borrow money from! On my way into the supermarket for supplies for the trip, I threw a dollar on the counter and got an instant ticket... the result? I won a free ticket... the next one... I won a dollar now I was pretty entertained and was feeling lucky so I threw the dollar back on the counter for another ticket...and on that last ticket I won $50 bucks!

it helped out for the trip... I was pretty entertained and stoked about winning, but vowed to not spend any more on it cause I used up all my good luck!

a few years back before PA sold Powerball tix, we used to make an afternoon out of driving to WVA (about 45 minutes away) and get ice cream and powerball tickets!

if you play, why? I mean we all know it's a poor investment right? Have you won anything?
 

urbaindk

The Real Dr. Science
Jul 12, 2004
4,819
0
Sleepy Hollar
Similar story. I was going backpacking in Va and stopped to by a scratch-off and won enough to buy a tank of gas and some slim jims. I was pretty pleased. That's about the only time I've played though.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,829
13,055
Portland, OR
I drop a $5 on the local Megabucks when I am at the grocery store on big trips (about twice a month). Lottery money has paid for a new trail section right down the street from me, so I see it as support for local trails.

If I hit $1M+ at some point, that would be awesome. But the $10 or so a month I have spent hasn't lost any more than a few of my actual investments, so it's not a big deal.

<edit> Stub Stewart State Park
 

cannondalejunky

ease dropper
Jun 19, 2005
2,924
2
Arkansas
i play when i go across state the state line to go to the liquor store(dry county, no state lottery) usually buy 2 powerball tickets when i've got a couple bucks left over just for fun
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,829
13,055
Portland, OR
Me too. Those tiny little $25-$50 million jackpots aren't big enough to live on.
If you take the lump sum, the tax alone will kill you.

I don't play powerball because the state only gets a small portion. I keep my stupid money local, because at least I feel like I got SOMETHING when I ride trails.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
Never. It's a waste of my hard earned money. I could go on a rant here but ....nah not today.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,134
19,917
Sleazattle
The only time I have ever played is when people at work pool their money together. No matter how small the odds are there is no way in hell I'm going to see all of them get rich and quit and not be in on the action.
 

brungeman

I give a shirt
Jan 17, 2006
5,170
0
da Burgh
have you ever thought about what you would spend it on, or how you would split it up if you did win?

the reason this whole lottery thing came up was on Saturday we pulled into a "mini mart" and Bek took 3 bucks of "my" hard earned money (those of you that are married know there really isn't "MY" money) and played the lotto. I told her that since she was taking MY money to play... I didn't just want the 3 bucks back I wanted a percentage! I wanted 30% and told her she could have 30% and the remaining 40 would go into "household money"... she chuckled and I said "NO I AM SERIOUS" well we didn't win (that I know of) maybe she is holding out on me!:shocked: but I was just wondering what the collective monkey would do!
 

Upgr8r

High Priest or maybe Jedi Master
May 2, 2006
941
0
Ventura, CA
The only time I have ever played is when people at work pool their money together. No matter how small the odds are there is no way in hell I'm going to see all of them get rich and quit and not be in on the action.
I forgot about doing that. There was a company here where everyone pooled their money and bought tickets except for one guy who bought a burrito. They won.

I vowed I would never be THAT guy, so if it comes up in the office I'll play
 

McGRP01

beer and bikes
Feb 6, 2003
7,793
0
Portland, OR
I used to play the occasional scratch-off in college. I can't play anythign right now as the company I work for is under contract to the NY State Lottery. I'd lose my job.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,829
13,055
Portland, OR
have you ever thought about what you would spend it on, or how you would split it up if you did win?

the reason this whole lottery thing came up was on Saturday we pulled into a "mini mart" and Bek took 3 bucks of "my" hard earned money (those of you that are married know there really isn't "MY" money) and played the lotto. I told her that since she was taking MY money to play... I didn't just want the 3 bucks back I wanted a percentage! I wanted 30% and told her she could have 30% and the remaining 40 would go into "household money"... she chuckled and I said "NO I AM SERIOUS" well we didn't win (that I know of) maybe she is holding out on me!:shocked: but I was just wondering what the collective monkey would do!
No matter who's pocket the dough came from, if you are married, you get half.

I know EXACTLY what I would spend it on. Since I play Megabucks, the usual pot is between $2M-$8M. After tax, taking annuity and not lump sum, I would see about $3M. So $150k a year for 20 years, not quite enough to quit my job today, but certainly enough to play with.

Donate 20% (various causes), save 30% (high interest savings), invest 30% (aggressive), and spend 20%. This is not touching my current budget. Having an income of $150k additional would cost a bit more in taxes, but getting it for 20 years would be nice.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
The only time I have ever played is when people at work pool their money together. No matter how small the odds are there is no way in hell I'm going to see all of them get rich and quit and not be in on the action.
:stupid:

I have been given scratch offs as X-mas gifts and have won on those. $50 last X-mas from a student and $17 this x-mas so I am not doing too shabby!
 

mantispf2000

Turbo Monkey
Aug 9, 2001
1,793
243
Nevada, 2 hours from Mammoth
Wife and I will buy a ticket or two when we go down to Mammoth, stopping in at the Von's there. She plays the older kids' b-days, and I play the sum of the combinations of Alaina's d-day. That way, by limiting it to just one store, we don't get all caught up and "just have to find a store to buy a ticket" in CA.

Oh, there's nothing wrong with getting the lump sum. $25-$50mil is about $10-$20mil after the taxes, and it's then tax free once it hits your pocket. Hhmmm, living off the interest for the rest of your life (though yes, tax on the interest)? I'll give it a try.............
 

r464

Turbo Monkey
Oct 17, 2006
2,604
4
Earth
I used to play the occasional scratch-off in college. I can't play anythign right now as the company I work for is under contract to the NY State Lottery. I'd lose my job.
Did you do anything to the "6" ball?

Come on, you can tell me...
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
Screw the odds... you can't win if you don't play.

I just bought like the 2nd ticket of my life the other day when the mega millions was up to 270 million. Like the others... I could never settle for anything less than a 100 mil...

:imstupid:
 

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,018
9,697
I have no idea where I am
There was some dude in West Virginia(by Gawd) that won something like 133 million and was broke in 5 years. He blew it on gambling and strippers.

I play for fun. It's entertaining to try to pick the numbers for powerball,but foolish to buy several tickets at a time. I usually get 1 or 2 numbers right, but have only won a grand total of 11 bucks.

It just baffles me that someone could win 133 million and lose it all. Why not put it in a high yield money market at 5% and live off the interest?
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,829
13,055
Portland, OR
It just baffles me that someone could win 133 million and lose it all. Why not put it in a high yield money market at 5% and live off the interest?
There was a study done a while back about the percentage of people who blow entire winnings in record time. It's the difference between rich and wealth.

Wealth you can't get rid of, rich you can lose in a crazy Summer with a drug habbit. - Chris Rock
 

BIGHITR

WINNING!
Nov 14, 2007
1,084
0
Maryland, east coast.
I play but it always seems like some loser trailer park trash always wins. See the couple that won the mega mill this week? GEESH! Want more proof? See this Maryland idiot that won a few weeks back? He prayed to the Wicken gods and a draggon before he sent his wife into a liquor store to buy his ticket!
 

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Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,839
15
So Cal
The only time I have ever played is when people at work pool their money together. No matter how small the odds are there is no way in hell I'm going to see all of them get rich and quit and not be in on the action.
:stupid:

It also makes me look like a "team player". :p
 

brungeman

I give a shirt
Jan 17, 2006
5,170
0
da Burgh
ditto. waste $5 or $10 a month for a lifetime and that's a lot of money.
I am with you! I wish I had 5 or 10 bucks a month to waste on it (I would use it for more bike stuff)... then again I easily "waste" 10 bucks a week in bike stuff! :busted: