Author Topic: Do you play the lottery?  (Read 6180 times)

Offline Penthesilea

  • Town Administration
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,745
Do you play the lottery?
« on: February 16, 2009, 10:13:16 am »
I've just read an interesting tidbit about the German Public Lottery.

In Germany, we play 6 out of 49. This means, in a field are the numbers 1 to 49 and you check six of them. On Saturdays, the six correct numbers for that week are drawn. The chances to win (the main prize) are 1/ 139.8 millions.
 :o

Next to nothing, as we all know. I think no matter what type of lotteries other countries have, the chances aren't significantally better/worse.

For illustration purposes, a mathematician had the following comparison: put a stick of one centimeter width (roughly half an inch) somewhere along the interstate route between Berlin and Rome. That's 1521 km, which is 945 miles. The distance between Childress and Riverton is 942 miles BTW; almost the same distance :).

Then a car drives all the way while the front seat passanger is blindfolded, and is given a coin. Now the passanger tries to hit the stick with the coin.

This is how big your chances are to win the lottery.

 ;D ::) :-\ ;D :laugh:



Do you play the lottery?

Offline serious crayons

  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 22,764
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2009, 11:23:59 am »
I put "maybe once a year," though it is probably more like three times a year. I never played at all until about three years ago, then money got tight and I realized I couldn't afford NOT to play!  :laugh:

Plus, my kids love it. So every now and then, when they ask for it, I do. But what we actually usually play is not the lottery per se, but scratch-off cards. Do you have those, Chrissi? You scratch off the silver rubbery stuff, and underneath hope to find some certain pattern of numbers or symbols, like three of a kind or whatever, like you might get on a slot machine. The winning patterns are worth different amounts of money, usually also depending on the cost of the card itself. I've never won more than about $10, which I then invest in new cards until I lose everything.

Your mathematician's analogy is interesting, except for one thing. If a million cars went on that route, still nobody might ever hit the stick. However, people do occasionally hit the jackpot. Knowing that it's at least possible, and that for a small amount you can buy the chance that it will be you, is what keep people playing.

Offline southendmd

  • Town Administration
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 19,061
  • well, I won't
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2009, 12:15:29 pm »
Almost never.

Remember the old saying:  "The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math"?   :-\

There are so many different kinds of lottery here:  scratch tickets (there seem to be countless different kinds; they just started a $10 ticket in my state), daily numbers, the weekly numbers (I think there are six different weekly numbers), and the big regional multi-state ones that pay the really big bucks.

Some states rely on lottery income for a substantial part of their budget.

Fact is, enough people play, some actually do win.  It gets publicized, and attracts people to keep playing. 

Offline Penthesilea

  • Town Administration
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,745
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2009, 02:01:51 pm »
I put "maybe once a year," though it is probably more like three times a year. I never played at all until about three years ago, then money got tight and I realized I couldn't afford NOT to play!  :laugh:


I also never played until about two years and a half years ago, when I wanted to go on the Alberta-pilgrimage.
Of course I didn't win, and also didn't make it to Alberta - but I went to the Colorado BBQ instead!


Quote
Plus, my kids love it. So every now and then, when they ask for it, I do. But what we actually usually play is not the lottery per se, but scratch-off cards. Do you have those, Chrissi?


Dang, almost three years into it and you still seem to be my unknown twin on the other side of the pond :laugh:. For me it's also the kids who make me play the lottery once or twice a year. Mostly if there's a high jackpot and it's all over the news.

We also have those scratch-off cards. But I don't play them, I play the regular thing.


Quote
Your mathematician's analogy is interesting, except for one thing. If a million cars went on that route, still nobody might ever hit the stick. However, people do occasionally hit the jackpot. Knowing that it's at least possible, and that for a small amount you can buy the chance that it will be you, is what keep people playing.

Well, he said the the statistical probability is be the same. That was the idea behind it: to find an example to make those huge numbers more comprehensible. Of course I can't retrace what variables he factored into the equotation, and how correct it is.

And for the records: I also voted "Very rarely".

Offline Meryl

  • BetterMost Supporter
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 12,205
  • There's no reins on this one....
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2009, 02:05:40 pm »
I play pretty regularly.  It's the Pisces in me.   ;)
Ich bin ein Brokie...

Offline mariez

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost 1000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,084
  • "you bet"
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2009, 02:07:13 pm »
I'm also a "very rarely" but I do know someone who won $5,000 once. 

I think it becomes almost a superstition for some people.  I have a neighbor who has bought a $1 Lotto ticket for years and years and plays the same numbers every week.  He's never won, but he's afraid that the first week he stops playing, those numbers will come up!  So I guess he looks at it like a $1 a week insurance policy.   :-\

Marie
The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis         ~~~~~~~~~Thurgood Marshall

The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.    ~~~~~~~~~ Mark Twain

Offline Penthesilea

  • Town Administration
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,745
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2009, 02:37:57 pm »
I'm also a "very rarely" but I do know someone who won $5,000 once. 

I think it becomes almost a superstition for some people.  I have a neighbor who has bought a $1 Lotto ticket for years and years and plays the same numbers every week.  He's never won, but he's afraid that the first week he stops playing, those numbers will come up!  So I guess he looks at it like a $1 a week insurance policy.   :-\

Marie


I can understand your neighbour :laugh:.

I won twice in my life: one time it was 18€ in the lottery (yes, back then when I played for Alberta! :laugh:). The other, biggest win I ever had, was a, wait for it, a bacon!
The bacon was not from the lottery, but from a tombola for charity purposes. It was huge, if memory serves it was about 5 kilo (ten pounds). We ended up dividing it into several portions and giving them to our friends and family.

Offline Brokeback_Dev

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,985
  • Love is a force of nature
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2009, 02:40:58 pm »
ive tried it but i dont like to gamble.  I consider playing lotto(as they call it in florida) throwing away a dollar. Times $52 a year.  Naw, ill pass.

Offline Berit

  • Brokeback Got Me Good
  • *****
  • Posts: 843
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2009, 03:46:44 pm »
I must admit to buy a ticket every now and then......but I KNOW there is a possibility to win....small but it's there!! ;D

My mum won a car, a small one - Nissan Micra - in 1994. Since she never has got a driving licence she gave it away to her onlychild....that's me  :laugh: After 300 000 kilometers it gave up....but we spent almost nothing on that car, it just worked and worked and worked.....

So I play now and then....and mom, she tries to get us a new car...... :laugh:....no luck yet!!
Ennis.....always Ennis.....

Offline Penthesilea

  • Town Administration
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,745
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2009, 03:56:37 pm »
I must admit to buy a ticket every now and then......but I KNOW there is a possibility to win....small but it's there!! ;D

My mum won a car, a small one - Nissan Micra - in 1994. Since she never has got a driving licence she gave it away to her onlychild....that's me  :laugh: After 300 000 kilometers it gave up....but we spent almost nothing on that car, it just worked and worked and worked.....

So I play now and then....and mom, she tries to get us a new car...... :laugh:....no luck yet!!


Wow, a car! That's a great lottery story! :)

Offline Brown Eyes

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 10,377
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2009, 04:08:08 pm »


I voted "no, never" because I don't think I've ever purchased a lottery ticket of my own.

When I was growing up, my Dad went through a funny phase of buying one lottery ticket every week along with the groceries.  Getting the lottery ticket was just part of doing Saturday errands.  But, it was always only one ticket per week.  We won a couple hundred dollars now and then.

But, it's never really crossed my mind to play the lottery now as an adult.  And, I don't think my parents buy lottery tickets anymore either.

the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline David In Indy

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,447
  • You've Got Male
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2009, 04:42:13 pm »
I only play once or twice a year, if even that much. :P

When I lived in Evansville, there was a riverboat casino called Casino Aztar. One night I made the mistake of going there with some friends and I brought my debit card, credit cards and lots of cash with me. I lost my ASS that night and I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. Since then I've pretty much avoided all forms of gambling. I have bought myself a few lottery tickets since then but mostly when I buy lottery tickets now I use them as stocking stuffers for friends during Christmas.

One of the big problems with that boat is they are always bringing you drinks, and you get to the point where you aren't thinking clearly and use poor judgment. When they first opened that casino they'd take it out on the river for 2 hour cruises and you'd be stuck on it and couldn't leave. They stopped the cruises and now it stays tied up to the dock.

 
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline delalluvia

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,289
  • "Truth is an iron bride"
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2009, 10:52:36 pm »
I play when the lotto is something ridiculous, like over $100 million.

Dream big, I say.  It's a nice 5 minute mental vacation to think about winning all that money.

Yes, the odds are such that I have a better chance of stepping out my front door and getting run over by the Space Shuttle, but someone wins.  And you can't win unless you play.

Offline optom3

  • BetterMost 1000+ Posts Club
  • ******
  • Posts: 4,638
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2009, 11:04:54 pm »
I buy scratch off tickets sometimes. We have $20 ones in the store. So far I am ahead. I won 2 $100 on $5 tickets then 3 lots of $20 on $1 tickets.3 out of 5 wins were in ticket numbers 49 !!!!

I am ahead by $90 and am now stoppingfor a bit.

Offline Kerry

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,076
  • ^ In pursuit of Captain Moonlite - 5 Sept 2009
    • Google Profile
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2009, 02:08:25 am »

I very rarely get a lottery ticket. When I see a big multi-million dollar prize offered, I promise myself I'll get a ticket. But because I'm not in the habit of doing so on a regular basis, I usually forget about it until after the big prize is drawn.  ::)
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Offline ifyoucantfixit

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,049
Re: Do you play the lottery?
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2009, 02:09:15 am »



      I buy one every time the prize hits really big.  I dont ever expect to win, but it could happen.  My husband
buys one every week however.  Maybe someday he will hit it.  He has hit a few that paid a few bucks, but nothing
substantial.



     Beautiful mind