Prepare for Billon-Dollar Lottery Madness

Officials are saying there was no winning ticket in the latest $900 million Powerball jackpot. If true, the next prize in seven days time will be upwards of a billion. And that's before figuring in people lining up to purchase more tickets than ever before- that total is sure to climb higher as more and more money goes in the hopper.

I generally don't play lottery. But in this situation, I'll be buying a couple tickets.

What are your thoughts compadres? Do you and your friends and family play? Is this lottery system moral or immoral? Is it totally on the level, or just another chapter in a series of well-timed distractions?

www.powerball.com...

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

Id probably spend most of the money on drugs, alcohol and wimmin and squander what was left.

The only reason the electronic system that calculates and chooses the numbers based on what is known to have been recorded and played in every state is because something devastating is coming that will make that money worthless. Having said that, 1 in 280+ million is significantly better than 0, and I will be playing ten different tickets. Whats $20 when the possibility is half a billion after taxes up front in cash??

Can i play in the UK???

if i won this much, i would have a garage with:

• knight industries 2000
  
• A-Team Van
  
• Airwolf
  
• Street Hawk
  
• General Lee
  
• Shelby GT500 (from Gone in 60 seconds)
  
• and the USA presidency
  

If I won, I'd burn it all in one pile, and film it.

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

Dunno how the it works in the US but I for one favor more numerous much smaller wins. The history of lotto winners is not impressive. Most return to a financial status that more closely resembles their pre-win financial status. People who are accustomed to being in debt and trying to put a roof over their heads and food on the table are just not equipped to manage huge sums of money.

I would much rather see lotto, power ball winnings limited to be a big flash house, a roller or two, elite universities for their kids, business class holidays to exotic locations by the score, a villa in another country and a 7 figure income for life both partners plus a six figure income for kids until they are 50 years of age.

Only billionaires and near billionaires are capable of managing money consisting of hundreds of millions of dollars.

originally posted by: Lysergic
If I won, I'd burn it all in one pile, and film it.

Er... no, you wouldn't..

I enter lotteries every now and again, highest win was $1000ish which came in -very- handy at the time. But usually it's nothing, nothing, and more nothing!

What I hate though, are those people who win millions. And then continue to play. Greedy. Selfish. And I also hate the people who win big and within a year are poor homeless beggars on the street. Seriously. 12 months ago you had 20 odd million? What the hell did you do??

The lottery in Australia doesn't get as insanely high as the ones I constantly see from America, and I'd be happy with enough to go buy a small property somewhere. One million is more than enough for my desires - house on a few acres, furniture, and a bit left over saved for a rainy day.

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me
Why buy a couple of tickets because its 900million as opposed to 9million? Your odds of winning and retiring are the same in both cases! In fact your odds on being the sole winner drops as more tickets are bought.

The only time to buy extra tickets is if a rollover situation is going to share the jackpot between lower winners should no outright jackpot winner occur. In that situation your odds of winning have gone up considerably.

originally posted by: Azureblue
a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

Dunno how the it works in the US but I for one favor more numerous much smaller wins. The history of lotto winners is not impressive. Most return to a financial status that more closely resembles their pre-win financial status. People who are accustomed to being in debt and trying to put a roof over their heads and food on the table are just not equipped to manage huge sums of money.

I would much rather see lotto, power ball winnings limited to be a big flash house, a roller or two, elite universities for their kids, business class holidays to exotic locations by the score, a villa in another country and a 7 figure income for life both partners plus a six figure income for kids until they are 50 years of age.

Only billionaires and near billionaires are capable of managing money consisting of hundreds of millions of dollars.

I think you are being a bit unkind there. I suspect the lotto winner who has managed his/her winnings and they and their family are living happily ever after with no debt and no work doesn't make for a story in a tabloid!

You will probably find people who don't get into debt but have lived on meagre means all their lives are more than capable of managing a million or more.

I play when the prize gets big, but I never really expect to win. I already have a plan for the money if I won. Every child in the town where I live will have a winter coat, shoes, whatever clothes they may need and I will set aside money for a food bank. Many of the kids here go to school in hand me downs that don't fit or are inappropriate for the weather. Some of the families just can't afford it and I personally know a couple who get by on very little when it comes to food.
I will not see a child cold or hungry.
And after that a nice house, a good truck and a few toys. No Ferrari or Lambo and I'll be damned if my kids will turn in to a Paris Hilton type. Beyond that, I have no idea what I'd do with the rest, although I'm sure I'll have relatives coming out of the woodwork to help me spend it.

originally posted by: Lysergic
If I won, I'd burn it all in one pile, and film it.

Good look even withdrawing $10,000 cash without the cops slamming your face in the mud.

I'm from California and I was wondering if I could play it here. Or is it only in another state?

It's been years since I bought a lottery ticket. They use to be a dollar a piece but now I think it's two dollars. But I think I might splurge two bucks and buy one this week

originally posted by: Teddy916
I'm from California and I was wondering if I could play it here. Or is it only in another state?

Maybe check with your local supermarket or gas stations that sell them and ask. Not sure which states are in this particular one.

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

The one in the UK has just got much tougher to win. used to be out of 49 balls but they've now in the last few months changed it to 59 balls!

Apparently a couple won yesterday but of course this could be fake news!

a reply to: yorkshirelad

Husband will buy randomly from time to time. This is actually the longest successive string of plays we've had.

He doesn't play depending on the size of the pot but rather more of whether he either feels lucky or happens to think about it. So we might wind up playing once or twice every two or three months.

a reply to: M4nWithNoN4me

I also don't normally don't play the lottery. The highest ever jackpot is grabbing the attention of a lot of people like me who don't want to waste our money on something where the odds are stacked against us. I bought 5 tickets last time and again for this most recent drawing. The first time, I didn't even match one number. The second time I matched one, whooo, hooo! It's starting to feel like you would need an intervention from God to help you select all the correct numbers and the power ball!

I even used a lottery app to help select these numbers. A lot of good that did. I justify it this way, I would be spending more money at the local casino so what's a few dollars hoping to win millions?

Here's what I find disgusting about the whole thing. If someone is lucky enough to win the jackpot, our government takes half of the winnings in taxes! We talk about corporate greed, what does that say about our government's greedy tax system?

a reply to: Teddy916

I think you are in luck!

According to this article:
WIKIPEDIA

And here's a link to the powerball map...

MAP

America's favorite lottery is played in 44 States, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

Too bad we cant do an ATS Lottery Pool and buy piles of tickets together.