The lottery?

[Sinlea]

Just wondering, anyone ever won the lottery or know anyone who has?

Everyone is going on and on about how they bought lottery tickets today... and I just don't think real people ever win it!

[Toony]

Everyone is going on and on about how they bought lottery tickets today... and I just don't think real people ever win it!

It's only awarded to fake people.

[Itchybottom]

Given the odds of winning a jackpot, you'd likely not meet anyone that hit the winning numbers.

http://members.cox.net/mathmistakes/rawdata.htm

[Sinlea]

BUT I WANT TO WIN AND I WANT TO HEAR THAT ITS A REALISTIC HOPE.

[Itchybottom]

http://www.mopo.ca/uploaded_images/genie-lamp-788120.jpg

[Sinlea]

........what is that??

[Comfortably]

my grandma has bought a lottery ticket 3-4 times a week for 70 years or so, has never won more than 100$ or so lol, and even that is super rare.. good luck =P

[Sinlea]

Well my grandma is dead, thanks.

[Itchybottom]

........what is that??

Better luck than the lottery.

[Loke]

No, but I once saw "The Lottery" staring Bette Midler. Does that count?

[Goobles]

I won $500 once.

[Reiker]

I know an old lady who won one of those "set for life" type tickets. She gets like $250,000 a year or something absurd.

[fuji]

One of my dad's friends won just a little over 2 million. Everyone that was remotely related to him called asking for something. He was one of those "too nice" kind of guys and usually bought everyone at the bar drinks for the night as well. He thought he had an endless pit of money, but he was broke in about a year and a half.

Best thing you can do if you win the lottery, tell no one.

[quido]

The parents of this kid with whom I went to high school won 6 million in the state lottery in the late 80s.

[Taluvill]

I bought a 1$ scratch ticket and won 14$. Got a double cash bonus on a 7$ win = )

[Reiker]

One of my dad's friends won just a little over 2 million. Everyone that was remotely related to him called asking for something. He was one of those "too nice" kind of guys and usually bought everyone at the bar drinks for the night as well. He thought he had an endless pit of money, but he was broke in about a year and a half.

Best thing you can do if you win the lottery, tell no one.

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-people-who-won-the-lottery-then-lost-it-all/

[fuji]

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-people-who-won-the-lottery-then-lost-it-all/

Good read. The last guy said winning the lottery was the worst thing that ever happened to him. I can only imagine what long lost friends and relatives would be calling me up if I ever hit big.

[Taluvill]

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-people-who-won-the-lottery-then-lost-it-all/

Cool read. I liked the story about the McDonald's guy, seemed like a pretty down to earth dude.

I was reading this, thinking all the while that if I won the lottery, I would be able to hold back, only buy like one or two cars, one house and live comfortably. But I'm sure the money changes you.

[Cogwell]

I love how they all say "it ruined my life" or "it was the worst thing that ever happened to me" as if they are totally incapable of realizing that they did that themselves.

I once saw a short documentary on lotto winners. It followed about 10 people who had won significant amounts, and I don't think any of them did anything significant after they won. With all that money could accomplish, within a community or even just to themselves, and all they did was spend it on worthless shit. It's one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

[toddfx]

I've never won but I did make it rain money in this Illinois Lottery commercial: http://vimeo.com/11581050

[mgellan]

http://www.businesspundit.com/10-people-who-won-the-lottery-then-lost-it-all/

I liked this quote:


This isn’t an article warning against winning the lottery. It’s warning against being a fucking moron.

ROTFL :)

Regards,
Mg

[azeth]

Kash and I hit a $10,000 jackpot on our honeymoon on a slot machine, the lottery however has yielded no loots.

[guineapig]

100k man, that's all I want.... after taxes.

Just enough to pay off all my student loans and leave nothing extra.
But my income would seemingly double due to how much I currently pay every month.

I feel that my student loan debt is the only actual worry I ever have.

[Yoite]

The Lottery, you know It's all the same,
Ain't shit changed just a Big Game,
They fuckin' with our brain, it's the government strain,
Taxes stealin' but they got you trained.

[guineapig]

The Lottery, you know It's all the same,
Ain't shit changed just a Big Game,
They fuckin' with our brain, it's the government strain,
Taxes stealin' but they got you trained.

Word up.

I don't play the lottery because it's nothing more than a voluntary tax on the poor-middle class.

[Harrison]

I buy a ticket or two every two weeks. To me it's fun *shrug*

I don't expect to win because I'm good with math. I know the odds.

I've won thousands, total, though. Spent MAYBE $200 total...

[Seeatee]

everyone always talks about the math or the astronomical odds when they talk about the lottery.

someone wins, that means every time someone hits the lottery jackpot they are breaking those odds. someone has to win, someone has to beat those odds, why not me? the odds might be 20 billion to one, but if you dont buy a ticket there is zero chance.

as for the people who hit it big and lose it all, well, they are morons, buy a nice car, a nice house, invest a little, put the rest in the bank and live off the interest, or if you are feeling especially crazy open a business that is sustainable and makes a profit using the money.

or even smarter, dont take the lump sum pay out, you can have it set up as so much a year payments depending on how much you win, 200 - 250k a year, that would be perfect, I could live the rest of my life VERY comfortably on that.

[Taluvill]

or even smarter, dont take the lump sum pay out, you can have it set up as so much a year payments depending on how much you win, 200 - 250k a year, that would be perfect, I could live the rest of my life VERY comfortably on that.

Exactly

[Cogwell]

everyone always talks about the math or the astronomical odds when they talk about the lottery.

someone wins, that means every time someone hits the lottery jackpot they are breaking those odds. someone has to win, someone has to beat those odds, why not me?

I'm not sure you understand probabilities.

If the odds to win big are 1 in a million, then over time only 1 person will win in every million tickets sold. They're not "breaking" the odds.

[Seeatee]

the way i see it, if i buy a ticket and the odds are 1 in a million to me winning, 1 chance of me winning a million I will not, I would say I "beat" those odds so to speak, as in land on the favorable and less likely outcome.

[Alarti0001]

your not level 26

[Raavak]

A group of people at a local factory won Powerball and got like $400k each after all was said and done. My friends brother and sis-in-law were both in. They got new cars, cabin up north, but still work.

[Seeatee]

your not level 26

yea yea, ill update it :P

[corradojeff]

Americans and their taxes...

In Canada we dont get taxed on winnings of any sort. So nice.

If we win money state side it will be taxed but then we fill out a few documents and a few months later we get most of it back.

Anyway, I work for Lotteries and I see real people winning on a daily basis. It happens to regular people everyday.

The point is to play cause its fun and exciting to imagine what would happen if you won. From the time you buy the ticket till the time the draw is done it is exciting to know that you could have a winning ticket. That's what it is all about.