Do you buy lottery tickets?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do you buy lottery tickets?

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:25:27 AM EDT

Me and my wife buy them on occasion. Since we always talk about what we'd do with a few hundred million dollars, we figure we gotta at least play to win.

So far I don't think we've even hit on number.

Do you just let the machine pick your numbers or do you have a set of numbers you repeatedly play?

Ever win?
How much? After taxes?

poll coming

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:31:43 AM EDT

[#1]

Every once in a great while I do ( about 5 or 6 times a year )

Sometimes a couple instants, sometimes i'll throw in 10 if the powerball is high ( more than 150mil) once in a while lotto and cash5..

all in all I definately spend less than 50 in a years time.

I think $40 is the most ive won, that was on an instant. as far as the others I do either or, depends on if I feel like filling out one of those number cards or not..

to sum it up, I have absolutly no method behind doing it LOL

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:33:03 AM EDT

[#2]

I used to play as part of an office pool.

Never won a thing - it was mainly for entertainment though.

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:33:03 AM EDT

[#3]

A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:33:20 AM EDT

[#4]

Lotto is a tax on the poor and the mathmatically challenged. Of course some just do it for fun and not with every left over buck they have.

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:34:11 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

True enough. But when Powerball is at $240 million, like it is now, I throw a couple bucks at it to have a shot.

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:37:50 AM EDT

[#6]

Some day it will make me a millionare

Posted: 10/9/2005 8:40:22 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

+1

Although I must admit I once got a scratch off (+ a little money)for my birthday that I won $200 on. After winning in front of the person that gave me that gift, they regreted giving me the money too

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:09:20 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

I figured those comments would fall into the first 5 or so posts...

I'll take that as a no.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:11:05 AM EDT

[#9]

Somtimes I will buy $10 or so as a gift to someone. It's my way of saying, "Happy Birthday. Here's NOTHING."

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:16:05 AM EDT

[#10]

$4 a week. That's it. I can assure you, it is not hurting our bottom line.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:18:22 AM EDT

[#11]

I never played the lottery until about two years ago, when a friend of mine's boss won the powerball. Now, I buy ONE ticket every month or so.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:19:08 AM EDT

[#12]

Sometimes when the jackpot gets huge i'll play $10, quickpick. For the small investment, even if I never hit, I get a good few hours of fantasy time going.

I also will throw in for an office pool if they do it, primarily because if they hit, and I'm not in, I'll be really pissed.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:20:07 AM EDT

[#13]

I'll spend $5 if the mega-money right across the stateline in GA is up over 100 million. Fun to dream about, besides somebody wins the damn thing. I don't play for those piddly amounts like 3 million, chump change

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:25:59 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

Would you call it ignorant to give the state $1 and the state gives you ~$100 Million?

People do win you know.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:26:15 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
A volunatry tax on the ignorant.

Its as valid a form of entertainment as going to the movies or bowling as long as you don't get carried away with it and you realize how huge the odds are...Buying the tickets allows you to use your imagination for a few minutes on what you'd do with the money.Its the same as buying a novel

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:29:24 AM EDT

[#16]

Every once in a while,when i am hating my job more than usual,
then i only buy 2 tickets.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:32:54 AM EDT

[#17]

Its funny, everyone plays the one your least likely to win (the multi state thing). Like a mere 100,000 wouldnt help you out..

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:34:08 AM EDT

[#18]

$2 per week, every week. For a buck you can dream big dreams. Mostly I think about all the people that I could help if I won. My personal needs and wants would be covered by a hatfull of money but the ability to aid the needy is my main inspiration. I'd probably be broke in 10 years but for those 10 years I'd make a difference in some lives.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:34:52 AM EDT

[#19]

I voted yes, but I've only ever bought two tickets. I might buy a powerball or something like that if it's $200mil, but basically I see the lottery as a tax on stupid people.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:41:26 AM EDT

[#20]

It's the idiot tax.

Although I have a few hundred dollars on scratch off tickets that people have given me.

Of the 25 or so that I've scratched off, I'd say making $400 is a pretty decent percentage of winning.

And it wasn't all on one ticket either.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:45:46 AM EDT

[#21]

I don't gamble, but i don't mind gambling in the form of the lottery or any other form. It's a tax on people who are bad at math, therefore it does not effect me, yet i reap the rewards of the social programs it funds.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:53:25 AM EDT

[#22]

We don't have one, and I'm sure as hell not going to drive to another state to play.

If it was here I might chip in a few bucks on the ones that would let me play the "2 Weeks Notice" card- "Hey, butthole, in two weeks you can say, "Gee, it doesn't seem like he has been gone 2 weeks."

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:56:34 AM EDT

[#23]

I spend $2 a week on powerball.

Posted: 10/9/2005 9:56:53 AM EDT

[#24]

the lottery is punishment for people who failed statistics.

Posted: 10/9/2005 10:01:20 AM EDT

[#25]

"Wishing won't do it. Investing will."

Posted: 10/9/2005 10:02:10 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
the lottery is punishment for people who failed statistics.

Did the guy who won millions last week PASS statistics?

Posted: 10/9/2005 10:12:20 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
the lottery is punishment for people who failed statistics.

Here's a statistics question...why is it everybody is giving the same bumper sticker answer but the poll says 2/3 of us buy tickets?...Hmmmm

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Do you buy lottery tickets?

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