Do you play the lottery?

[DanS]

Re: Re: Do you play the lottery?

Originally posted by Flubber
I play every 3-5 months whenever the mood strikes. I understand stats and there are far better games if you want to gamble but I enjoy the little discussions with the wife on how we would spend our winnings.

I second that, without the me speaking with your wife part.

A good conversation piece among a surprisingly large crossection of the population. Well worth the $1 or $20 when the jackpot is huge.

[Kuciwalker]

Dauphin

Lotteries

[Spec]

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=167837

Spec.

[Tuberski]

If I spend $8.50 at the store and have a ten, I'll buy a ticket.

ACK!

[MRT144]

I no longer gamble for money. I have a gambling problem.

On the other hand, I love craps more than you all can imagine. the statistical aspect of it is what fascinates me about it. the gamblers fallacy especially! I love craps craps craps!

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Stop being so serious and get your arse down the gym, boy!

Was playing some mixed five-a-side football tonight.

Some fine looking girls on the pitch I must say, and less pretentious than the gym going lookers.

[Blake]

A fool and his money are soon parted

I'm vehemently opposed to all forms of gambling*.

Why would I WANT to play a negative sum game?
-> Why would I WANT to profit at the expense of others?

That is how I think, quite innately. And also apparently I don't have the buttons which gambling presses.


* I probably wouldn't call a charitable raffle gambling because it's basically neutral or positive-sum in the community and it's transparently unfair in that the goal is obviously giving money to the charity and the "prize" is just a kind of bonus. Lotteries aren't absolutely terrible, since the profits usually goes to charity, but they lack that transparency...

[PLATO]

The Lottery profits in Tennessee go to college scholarships. I don't mind spending a buck on that occasionally for a chance to win millions.

[Dis]

my state does not have a lottery. We're against gambling. gambling is bad.

[Blake]

Originally posted by PLATO
The Lottery profits in Tennessee go to college scholarships. I don't mind spending a buck on that occasionally for a chance to win millions.

Altruism not good enough for you?
You'd rather give a few of those bucks to some idiot who will spend them unwisely?

Your call I guess.

[GePap]

I have played a couple of times I think, buying a one dollar ticket. I see no harm in it, just another impulse buy. At least it wasn;t spend on unneeded calories.

[Dis]

unneeded calories

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Blake


Altruism not good enough for you?
You'd rather give a few of those bucks to some idiot who will spend them unwisely?

Your call I guess.

Scholarships are for "some idiot who will spend them unwisely"?

Hmmmm....interesting.

As far as altruism, I guess I would give my 4 or 5 dollars a year directly if the local convienience store starts handling scholarship funds.

[Blake]

The idiots are the people who win who aren't you .

But I suppose that lottery as to be set up something like this:

40% goes to charity
10% goes to administration
50% is the pool

On average, you should get out of the pool what you put in it, so the overhead on the remaining is the administration, and if it is fairly small.

of $10 spent on tickets

$4 goes to charitable causes
$1 goes to administration
$5 "returns on average"

So you spend $5 to give $4 to charitable causes, the remaining $1, could maybe be justified as worth it for the entertainment.

So I guess that buying lotto tickets for altruistic reasons (20% waste (depending really on how big the administration/corruption slice of the pie is)) is not nearly as stupid as buying them for selfish reasons (50% waste), although it still seems pretty stupid .
But in any case lottery mostly attracts people who are stupid and greedy, with perhaps the charity side of things being a minor feel good (or not feel so bad) factor.

[Wittlich]

Of couse I do - It's like they say: "You can't win, unless you play."