Anyone of you rational folks play the lottery?

[joeactor]

Yeah, it's stupid-fun to play once in a while.  A buck or two and a little irrational thrill.

BTW, when I win, I'm becoming a recluse ;-)

(all the Lego sets are MINE!!!)

[Amicale]

Yeah, it's stupid-fun to play once in a while.  A buck or two and a little irrational thrill.

BTW, when I win, I'm becoming a recluse ;-)

(all the Lego sets are MINE!!!)

@ the Lego sets!

I think the price of the lottery is a HUGE issue here, for one of the big jackpot draws, the price of a ticket isn't a dollar or two, it's more like 4 or 5, sometimes 6 bucks, depending on the lottery. It used to be 2 bucks to buy one line of Super 7, $3 if you wanted encore.

[joeactor]

I think the price of the lottery is a HUGE issue here, for one of the big jackpot draws, the price of a ticket isn't a dollar or two, it's more like 4 or 5, sometimes 6 bucks, depending on the lottery. It used to be 2 bucks to buy one line of Super 7, $3 if you wanted encore.

Agreed - keeping the price low ($1) is a major draw.  Less thought to buy, more incentive...

[Sweetdeath]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

[Amicale]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

It sure can be. And when I worked retail for 4 years and had to sell lottery, I'd see people buying tons of tickets, $50 or $75 at a time. It was insane.

The worst part got so bad it nearly made me SNAP, a woman came in every week with two very thin, improperly dressed, sad looking children... and she'd buy $20 of this and $30 of that and $40 of this, sometimes spending over a hundred in one go, always saying how THIS week, she was going to win the big one. Meanwhile, her oldest child, a girl, was literally BEGGING her "can't you please get something for us to eat mommy? We're hungry!" and she'd buy them a damned little 69 cent chocolate bar and a 99 cent can of coke (for children both under the age of 7 or 8, UGH) and tell the kids to stop whining and to shut up while she finished buying "what she needed". Need, my ass.

It got to the point where our blood was boiling, morale there was at an all time low, we didn't want to sell her lottery ever again, and our pharmacist called child protective services and had her investigated. I think this experience DID something nasty to me. I've never been able to look at lottery or gambling the same way ever again.

Don't even get me started on having to sell mouthwash to the homeless alcoholics...

[Buddy]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

It sure can be. And when I worked retail for 4 years and had to sell lottery, I'd see people buying tons of tickets, $50 or $75 at a time. It was insane.

The worst part got so bad it nearly made me SNAP, a woman came in every week with two very thin, improperly dressed, sad looking children... and she'd buy $20 of this and $30 of that and $40 of this, sometimes spending over a hundred in one go, always saying how THIS week, she was going to win the big one. Meanwhile, her oldest child, a girl, was literally BEGGING her "can't you please get something for us to eat mommy? We're hungry!" and she'd buy them a damned little 69 cent chocolate bar and a 99 cent can of coke (for children both under the age of 7 or 8, UGH) and tell the kids to stop whining and to shut up while she finished buying "what she needed". Need, my ass.

It got to the point where our blood was boiling, morale there was at an all time low, we didn't want to sell her lottery ever again, and our pharmacist called child protective services and had her investigated. I think this experience DID something nasty to me. I've never been able to look at lottery or gambling the same way ever again.

Don't even get me started on having to sell mouthwash to the homeless alcoholics...

Wow. Some people should not have children. Do you know if CPS took them?

[DeterminedJuliet]

I worked at a place where we sold lotto tickets and I did see a lot of abuse, as well. We had a woman we used to call "the lotto lady" because she'd come in once a week with STACKS of lotto for us to check. It took forever. She'd actually just drop them off at our counter and would be like "Okay, I'll be back in a half hour!" because it took us forever to get through everything.  

And whatever she won, she'd always spend back in more tickets. And then some. It was sad to watch  

[Amicale]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

It sure can be. And when I worked retail for 4 years and had to sell lottery, I'd see people buying tons of tickets, $50 or $75 at a time. It was insane.

The worst part got so bad it nearly made me SNAP, a woman came in every week with two very thin, improperly dressed, sad looking children... and she'd buy $20 of this and $30 of that and $40 of this, sometimes spending over a hundred in one go, always saying how THIS week, she was going to win the big one. Meanwhile, her oldest child, a girl, was literally BEGGING her "can't you please get something for us to eat mommy? We're hungry!" and she'd buy them a damned little 69 cent chocolate bar and a 99 cent can of coke (for children both under the age of 7 or 8, UGH) and tell the kids to stop whining and to shut up while she finished buying "what she needed". Need, my ass.

It got to the point where our blood was boiling, morale there was at an all time low, we didn't want to sell her lottery ever again, and our pharmacist called child protective services and had her investigated. I think this experience DID something nasty to me. I've never been able to look at lottery or gambling the same way ever again.

Don't even get me started on having to sell mouthwash to the homeless alcoholics...

Wow. Some people should not have children. Do you know if CPS took them?

Yes, I believe CPS did take them, at least from what I heard. I don't know what happened to them, though. I haven't seen them or that woman around the city once since then, and that was 5 or 6 years ago... 

And DJ, yeah, we had people like that too. Soooo many lotto tickets to check that they'd also just wander off and come back later! And then like yours, anything they won, they'd just spend on more lotto! It was crazy! And sad to watch, yes. 

[ThinkAnarchy]

I used to, but than I won $10,000 and decided to quite while I was ahead.

[Crow]

I played the lottery for the first time last week, I have been bought tickets in the past but the first time I have bought one for myself and won £20. I might set up a direct debit for it as its only a small amount of money even though the chances are slim but I'm optimistic and life started on earth with worse odds.

[Augustus]

I spent £1 on a scratchcard on my 16th birthday, won £2 so i bought another with the winning. By the end of school lunch i had about £23 from that £1 and i haven't touched them since Better to quit whilst i'm ahead i think

I've never done the actual lottery though.

[Velma]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

It sure can be. And when I worked retail for 4 years and had to sell lottery, I'd see people buying tons of tickets, $50 or $75 at a time. It was insane.

The worst part got so bad it nearly made me SNAP, a woman came in every week with two very thin, improperly dressed, sad looking children... and she'd buy $20 of this and $30 of that and $40 of this, sometimes spending over a hundred in one go, always saying how THIS week, she was going to win the big one. Meanwhile, her oldest child, a girl, was literally BEGGING her "can't you please get something for us to eat mommy? We're hungry!" and she'd buy them a damned little 69 cent chocolate bar and a 99 cent can of coke (for children both under the age of 7 or 8, UGH) and tell the kids to stop whining and to shut up while she finished buying "what she needed". Need, my ass.

It got to the point where our blood was boiling, morale there was at an all time low, we didn't want to sell her lottery ever again, and our pharmacist called child protective services and had her investigated. I think this experience DID something nasty to me. I've never been able to look at lottery or gambling the same way ever again.

Don't even get me started on having to sell mouthwash to the homeless alcoholics...

You can go overboard with anything.  An occasional expenditure of a few dollars is one thing, but that woman needed help.  I hope she got it.

[Amicale]

Is it really $6 to play? Yikes

It sure can be. And when I worked retail for 4 years and had to sell lottery, I'd see people buying tons of tickets, $50 or $75 at a time. It was insane.

The worst part got so bad it nearly made me SNAP, a woman came in every week with two very thin, improperly dressed, sad looking children... and she'd buy $20 of this and $30 of that and $40 of this, sometimes spending over a hundred in one go, always saying how THIS week, she was going to win the big one. Meanwhile, her oldest child, a girl, was literally BEGGING her "can't you please get something for us to eat mommy? We're hungry!" and she'd buy them a damned little 69 cent chocolate bar and a 99 cent can of coke (for children both under the age of 7 or 8, UGH) and tell the kids to stop whining and to shut up while she finished buying "what she needed". Need, my ass.

It got to the point where our blood was boiling, morale there was at an all time low, we didn't want to sell her lottery ever again, and our pharmacist called child protective services and had her investigated. I think this experience DID something nasty to me. I've never been able to look at lottery or gambling the same way ever again.

Don't even get me started on having to sell mouthwash to the homeless alcoholics...

You can go overboard with anything.  An occasional expenditure of a few dollars is one thing, but that woman needed help.  I hope she got it.

Totally agree, Velma. And just to clarify since I don't like it when others exagerate and paint with a wide brush so I shouldn't either: I DON'T think most people who play the lottery are like this. I'm sure most of them aren't. I'm sure the majority of lottery players just have fun with it, have a few extra dollars to spend, and aren't taking the money away from their kids. I totally see why it's a fun little dream that people have.

It's just that this circumstance in particular affected me. It's what Seth over at 'The Thinking Atheist Podcast' calls a "6% event": your stress level's gone up slowly over time to 95% and you know that SOMETHING is going to push you over the top, and this was my 6% event that did it, at the time. 

[Sweetdeath]

I care for myself through odd jobs and comissions. But my grandmother whom is in bad health rather spend $20-$35 a week on scratch cards than.buy healthy fruits and freah vggies. It is a disease ( a link to gambling maybe?)
I dunno. Pretty pathetic. I feel so sad at your kids story though. That would make me FUME as well.  I see that happen in my neighborhood a lot. I think its so sad that these people have such high hopes in a 1,000,000 to 1 shot. They should spend their money on things that matter...

There are no short cuts in life. Only short hair cuts.

[Tank]

I spent £1 on a scratchcard on my 16th birthday, won £2 so i bought another with the winning. By the end of school lunch i had about £23 from that £1 and i haven't touched them since Better to quit whilst i'm ahead i think

I've never done the actual lottery though.

Very sensible!