The odds of winning the lottery bigtime (not just a few bucks here and there) are astronomically against us; yet I continue to play. Do you?

Nope, I had statistics in college. I don’t like to throw away my money (I also don’t gamble when in Vegas).

Even though my chances of winning are infinitely higher if I play, I don’t play. I know my chances of winning are pretty much the same whether I play or don’t play.

In a fair lottery I would play but they skim off the top meaning you always lose, even if you’re one of the lucky bastards that wins.

Like @syz, I took statistics in college. I also had a freshmen seminar class specifically about gambling and the lottery. I was already convinced that playing the lottery is basically a dubious money pit. The classes just reaffirmed what I was already sure of.

But by all means, I encourage people to continue playing. My state offers need and merit based scholarships that are paid for by lottery taxes, which I happen to receive.

Here, they build schools and especially sports centers for kids with the money the state lottery makes. But I know someone who won millions – why not me?

I dream of winning…but rarely play.

I do because my husband really wants to win. Lol. I still don’t buy tickets for every drawing, but I buy them a few times a month because he likes me too.

I gamble making bad investments in the stock market.

Sometimes I double my money in two days. Sometimes I lose most of it in 8 hours. Overall I am up a significant amount. I get the fun of gambling but I barely ever lose everything. And I only do this with money I am OK with losing. I’m not rolling the dice on rent money.

I believe my husband still buys one or two tickets a week. His average is break even on the year.

You are guaranteed not to win if you don’t buy, so that’s why many people do buy.

^ Word.

A flood came and a man had to climb onto the roof of his house. As the waters rose a neighbor in a rowboat appeared, and told him to get in. “No,” replied the man on the roof, “the Lord will save me.” Then a firefighter appeared in a speedboat. “Climb in!” shouted the firefighter. “No,” replied the man on the roof, “The Lord will save me.” A helicopter appeared and the pilot shouted that he would lower a rope to the man on the roof. “No,” replied the man on the roof, “the Lord will save me.” Eventually the man drowned and went to heaven, where he asked God why He hadn’t helped him. “I sent a neighbor, a firefighter, and helicopter,” said God. “What more do you want?”

The last time I played the lottery, I think I was seven. My mom and I would buy scratch-offs from a vending machine because they had various pictures of Star Fleet ships. She would always let me keep the money I “won” and it was never more than twenty bucks which seemed like a gold mine to me at the time. Since then, I have never played the lottery. Every once in a while, I’ll want to buy a ticket but then I see a candy bar and decide to spend my two bucks there instead. ;)

I try to buy a ticket for our friday night supermax draw. There’s a hellish lot of money to win and it could be me. Yes, it could so. I use that joke @zen_ . I get sage nods from people when I do.

I see no reason not to try every now and then. it’s just that I’m in a rush or too lazy to bother.

Yes and everytime I play I genuinly believe that I stand a decent chance. I too also know someone who won big.

Nope. never have! Waste of time chasing an unattainable “dream.”

@Leanne1986 – I’ll make a deal with you; here’s how we double our odds. If you win, anything big, say, over 100 grand – you give me half – and I’ll do the same.

Nope.
I ran “skilled” game machines and sold lottery for many years. I saw first hand what a black hole it really is. Sure, I saw a few winners here and there, but I also saw what they put into it to win. Thanks, but no thanks.

@zen_ I didn’t win last night :(

Me neither. Go again for next time? Same deal?

@zen_ Sure thing! Right now the best thing ever would be to win the lottery so that I could tell the arseholes I work with to get stuffed!

@Leanne1986 If we win, I’ll tell yours and you tell mine. The next draw is tonight – 10 million of our currency – that’s about 4 bucks and change in yours. On?