If you were part of an office lottery pool, and you all won 16 mil each, but one person opted not to play that week, would you give him any share of the winnings?

Depending on how close I was with the person, I might give them a share of my share—without telling anyone else. I wouldn’t want to pressure the others into doing the same.

Well it’s definitely tough luck, but I think it would depend on the situation. If he opted out because he was just tired of doing it and wasn’t planning to do it anymore, I’d feel less compelled to give him anything. But, if he opted out because he couldn’t afford the ticket or something else, I’d probably give him a share of mine and maybe talk to the others to see how they felt about doing the same.

Well, I wouldn’t be working there no more. So, buh-bye!!!

Well, yes.

I think it all depends on why he opted out. There was a question like this a few months ago and a lot of people said that even if he just stayed home sick from work or was on a business trip or was simply off that day, they wouldn’t give him anything which really surprised me. I think if he consciously opted out, then, no, he shouldn’t get a share. However, if he opted out because he wasn’t going to be in work the day that they collected the money or because of some other circumstance that wouldn’t have normally happened, then it’s not fair and he should be given a share.

Yes. I can’t really imagine winning the lottery like that and then saying ‘nyah nyah, you snooze, you lose,’ if the person had been playing numbers with us regularly.

Life sucks, then you die.

Yeah, I got my share of the $319 million. It’s pretty cool. Too bad you weren’t able to buy a ticket that day. Why am I still working here? Well, it gives me something to do during the day. Plus, I get to talk to you, my buddy.

You know that big mansion we saw on-line the other day? Yeah, I bought it. I know, it’s a lot of empty space now but I plan on filling it up with crap, you know? And get this: I bought a solid gold toilet! With a ruby flush knob and those caps on the bottom? They’re diamonds. Yeah, taking a crap on that is like being the King Crapper, you know?

The house is kind of far away. And the seats in the Lamborghini aren’t that comfortable for long trips so I’m thinking of getting a Bentley, too. Or maybe just use the heli-pad and rent a copter to get to work. That’d be pretty neat, hey?

Say, it’s lunch time. What say I buy you lunch. I know where they sell a bag of hot dogs for a quarter.

I don’t think he should share in the winnings if he didn’t share in the price of the ticket(s).

I seriously have a hard time putting myself in their shoes, trying to imagine this being an actual person that I work with and see on a daily basis… and then saying “well, technically he has no right to the money.”
Of course he doesn’t. But @mrentropy nailed it. What an asshole that would make me.

@ANef_is_Enuf What?

Oh… Yes, that’s right. That was a cautionary tale. Not at all what I was daydreaming about doing if I were actually in that situation. Yep… I mean, nope.

@mrentropy I guess it is a different story if you don’t think very highly of your coworkers. ;)

I can’t fathom not sharing. There’s no lesson to be learned by the person who didn’t contribute…maybe he didn’t have a buck that day?!

I think the lesson is the humanity from the winner. Like @theninth, I’d give him part of my share, but wouldn’t guilt anyone else into doing it.

EDIT: I looked it up but it doesn’t say why the person opted out/didn’t contribute…BUT it does say that they all won by chance. A guy cut in front of the person buying the ticket…had he not been rude and cut the line, they would own a non-winning ticket and the “rude dude” would have got the winner.

In all honesty, I’d be afraid to not share it in case the person decided commit suicide.

I saw an article about it and it said the guy opted out because “he didn’t feel lucky that day.” I am not sure how regular the guy was with the pool.

@jca: Well, then I think he doesn’t deserve a cut. He made the conscious decision to opt out and not for any reason to do with hardship or not being at work. Now, if he had opted out because he needed the money to put gas in his car or buy his kid a birthday present or something like that, then I think he should still get a share, albeit, a smaller one.

@jca I believe that is called ‘irony.’

I would give him a little of my share..regardless…maybe he was having a bad day? anyway, he’s still a friend.

Of course I would. Not giving anything would be a douchebag move, in my opinion.

I would hope that the lottery club had a written agreement or rules and regulations of the club and what is to be expected of each participant. That way there would be no question of what happens when they win.

No chipping in a chunk. If you don’t play you cannot win. It’s just that simple. No moral dilemma here.

If they guy had played regularly each week with the rest of his fellow employees and he missed his share of the contributions, because his child needed medicene or any legitimate excuse, I would be willing to give him a share. Not an equal share, but just enough to keep all his friends as friends.

Money is not everything in life.

This guy didn’t play that day, because he said he didn’t feel lucky that day.
He was asked several times by different players, and he turned them down.
He was right. He wasn’t lucky. They won, and he is SOL.
If I had been one of the winners, I would definitly share my money with a lot of people and causes, but it would depend on how I got along with this guy if he would be one of my benefactees.

I was thinking more about this issue last night and I know there would always be someone in the office who would say “I would have put in but you didn’t ask me!” or “I was out that day, why didn’t you put in for me?” or “You know I always put in but I was on vacation” and then they’d all want a cut. I think if it’s a regular pool it would probably have regular members, whereas if it’s just a once-in-a-while collection there would be stragglers who want to be added in.

This may sound really cruel, but give the guy who opted out the money back that he has invested so far.

Seriously, why should he be entitled to the jackpot just because he has played it in the past? If this happened to me, I’d be berating myself and not begging for a portion of the winnings.