Lucky strike - Lottery ticket odds

[Ted Hoppe]

580 Million up for grabs over 20 years or 340 million right now.

The odds of getting struck by lightning are about one in 280,000, according to the National Lightning Safety Institute. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot for the next drawing on Friday are estimated at about one in 176 million, according to lottery officials. Though that bolt from the sky may strike you more than 500 times before you hit that jackpot.

How many tickets are you gonna buy?

X 500 = Winner!

[Paul Pless]

You are more likely to die from a flesh eating disease than to win this lotto.

Sure I'm buying a ticket, not with any realistic thought that I might win, but for the fantasy entertainment value that $1.00 goes pretty far.

Besides that, somebodies gotta win it eventually. . .

[Ted Hoppe]

Pray I will the lotto. Your good fortune may follow.

[ron ll]

As large as those odds are, the odds of winning if you DONT have a ticket are infinitely greater.

[Keith Wilson]

A lottery is a tax on people who don't understand math.

[pumpkin]

A lottery is a tax on people who don't understand math.

But even if I gave a hundred dollars to everyone that ever said hello to me I'd still have like $190 million after tax. I'm in.

[mikefrommontana]

If you win, you'll be richer than Romney!

[skipper68]

Friends have thousands buy. Bet it wont hit????We can only raise our hands so many time We will all be living large. If it would- If it would have some for NOPE..UGHH . WE GOT TICKETS!! Waiting for no winner.....great to get the poor tax covered.

[Meli]

I've never understood the rational behind these huge jackpots.
who needs 500 mill?

why dont they just offer 2 mill to 250 winners?

Hmm, maybe it's not enough for people to bet a dollar

People are weird

[McMike]

I'm in.

[Chris Woodward]

31 4 52 3 17 29

[Norman Bernstein]

I usually drop a 5-spot when the prize runs up big, based on the following principles:

1) Someone eventually wins
2) If I don't have a ticket, that someone won't be me
3) Excellent fantasy value, for the price

I will admit, however, that the fantasy doesn't improve, as the prize keeps going up. I mean, will you be happier if you won $500M, versus winning $200M?

[boatbuddha]

I will spend $1 on a lottery of this size because at these odds $1 is as good as $100.

[Paul Pless]

I will admit, however, that the fantasy doesn't improve, as the prize keeps going up. I mean, will you be happier if you won $500M, versus winning $200M?

A little bit. For instance with $500 million and some leverage I might be able to swing buying the Indians.

[ron ll]

why dont they just offer 2 mill to 250 winners?

Hmm, maybe it's not enough for people to bet a dollar

People are weird

Two million just isn't worth dreaming about, even at my advanced age. If you take the cash up front, you only get half. Then half of that is taxed right up front. Immediately spend $100,000 on celebratory whims. So now you have $400,000 in investments earning what, 2%? Don't quit yer day job.