Lottery is a bit crap
Discussion
k all for me, 1x main number and 1x lucky star matched. 
KingNothing said:
You lose nearly $100 million by taking it as cash? What's the other options, an annual payout?If you win a Mega Millions jackpot, you will choose how to be paid: Cash Option or Annual Payout. Prize claim parameters vary from state to state. Contact your Mega Millions lottery for detailed information.
Annuity option: The Mega Millions annuity is paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous one. We used to pay the jackpot in equal installments, but players expressed concern that the cost of living would be increasing while their payments were not. We changed to payments that increase each year to help protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power.
For a typical jackpot of $50 million, the initial payment would be more than $750,000, and future annual payments would grow to almost $3.1 million.
When the jackpot is $100 million, each payment is twice as big. When the jackpot is $25 million, each payment is half as big, etc.
Cash option: A one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
Last nights Lotto underlines why I don't bother any more.
Jackpot odds are 13,983,815 to 1 - prize £7m
5 + Bonus, odds are 2,330,635 to 1 - prize is £47k.
Don't get me wrong, £47k would be lovely, but at £2 a line and odds of 2.3m to 1, that's just garbage. There was a time you'd clear a decent mortgage with 5+bonus. But hey, you win £25 if you get three numbers!
Whoop whoop.
Jackpot odds are 13,983,815 to 1 - prize £7m
5 + Bonus, odds are 2,330,635 to 1 - prize is £47k.
Don't get me wrong, £47k would be lovely, but at £2 a line and odds of 2.3m to 1, that's just garbage. There was a time you'd clear a decent mortgage with 5+bonus. But hey, you win £25 if you get three numbers!
Whoop whoop.
The prize for 5+ bonus ball was actually £187K, but 4 people shared it.
5 of the 6 numbers we 31 or under, so that always lessens the amount you win because you end up sharing it.
As I keep saying, go for numbers 32+. That way you get rid of all the sheeple who use family birthdays as their numbers. You have the same chance of winning, but you get to keep the lot!
5 of the 6 numbers we 31 or under, so that always lessens the amount you win because you end up sharing it.
As I keep saying, go for numbers 32+. That way you get rid of all the sheeple who use family birthdays as their numbers. You have the same chance of winning, but you get to keep the lot!
It's a bit off-topic as this is Canada but the lottery might seem carp for one guy who probably won't be playing '7 seconds away' any time soon. The man with the ticket which Neneh Cherry's song could have been written for is Joel Ifergan.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/7-seconds-too-late-sc...
Just make sure you buy your tickets in the right order people, always get the winning one first
when in Canada obviously.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/7-seconds-too-late-sc...
Just make sure you buy your tickets in the right order people, always get the winning one first
when in Canada obviously.turbobloke said:
It's a bit off-topic as this is Canada but the lottery might seem carp for one guy who probably won't be playing '7 seconds away' any time soon. The man with the ticket which Neneh Cherry's song could have been written for is Joel Ifergan.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/7-seconds-too-late-sc...
Just make sure you buy your tickets in the right order people, always get the winning one first when in Canada obviously.
The guy's trying to crowdfund to cover his legal fees as well, what a tool.http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/7-seconds-too-late-sc...
Just make sure you buy your tickets in the right order people, always get the winning one first
when in Canada obviously.http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/man-who-missed-jackpo...
Thought of this thread now that the Lottery has changed to 59 balls instead of 49.
Personally, I've stopped playing (and I played ever since 1994!) And just put the money into extra EuroMillions lines.
Noticed 3 things from Camelots site though.
1) That it hasn't come close to being won since the change. If it rolls and rolls up to the maximum, will people become disheartened that it's become "unwinnable" (Euros despite longer odds, tends to get won every 5-10 rollovers. I suspect more players per draw helps that.)
2) 5+1 was £50k to each of the 2 winners. Sure it used to be higher on 49 balls.
3) The Euro's also rolled over and they've estimated jackpot at £15M when it will almost certainly be nearer £20m. Feel that's a abit of spin to make normal Lottery look more enticing!
Personally, I've stopped playing (and I played ever since 1994!) And just put the money into extra EuroMillions lines.
Noticed 3 things from Camelots site though.
1) That it hasn't come close to being won since the change. If it rolls and rolls up to the maximum, will people become disheartened that it's become "unwinnable" (Euros despite longer odds, tends to get won every 5-10 rollovers. I suspect more players per draw helps that.)
2) 5+1 was £50k to each of the 2 winners. Sure it used to be higher on 49 balls.
3) The Euro's also rolled over and they've estimated jackpot at £15M when it will almost certainly be nearer £20m. Feel that's a abit of spin to make normal Lottery look more enticing!
Speed_Demon said:
1/15 million to 1/49 million roughly is the change in odds now they've added the extra numbers.
Almost correct. They've increased the odds from 1:13,983,816 to 1:45,057,474. which is a factor of 3.222But the ticket price has doubled. So, whereas initialy it cost me £1 for a ticket with odds of 1:13,983,816, it now cost effectively £6.44
Rich_W said:
1) That it hasn't come close to being won since the change. If it rolls and rolls up to the maximum, will people become disheartened that it's become "unwinnable" (Euros despite longer odds, tends to get won every 5-10 rollovers. I suspect more players per draw helps that.)
I expect they have statistics to show that people are enticed by higher jackpots, and they sell more tickets when there is a rollover.Hub said:
I expect they have statistics to show that people are enticed by higher jackpots, and they sell more tickets when there is a rollover.
Camelot claim people want the smaller prizes! To my mind, the lotto was broken by paying £25 as a minimum prize. Personally, I'd rather it was still a tenner or every a fiver and the balance went to the top 2 or 3 prize pools. None of the odds are good on Lotto but the 5+1 prize is ludicrous! £30k for odds of something like 1:7.5m.
I think the decline in sales will continue. Most people know the lotto isn't a great bet, but since the non-jackpot prizes have been messed up, it's underlined quite how terrible it is. I've got tickets for this draw, but one the jackpot is won, I'm out for good.
Incidentally, apparently the odds of becoming a millionaire is now less - around 1:10m. If you live in the SE and are a PHer, that probably means you'll be able to pay your mortgage down a bit!
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