Todd,

When someone wins $102 million and the lottery takes, uses and advertises a photo of them holding a check for $220 million it most certainly is Decptive Advertising.  And it is indeed a sad day in America and a triumph for Clintonesque values when the only defense offered for a deliberate mischaracterization is to say, everyone does it.

I am not picking on Powerball nor am I as you so eloquently characterize it attempting to rip Powerball a new one.  I am expressing my opposition to some of Powerball's practices, the changes made to Powerball and the reasons they give for those practices and said changes.  I think I have some legitimate concerns.  And the fact that someone from Powerball took the time to respond to what I said tells me that they are sensitive to what I had to say and took what I had to say seriously.  

Contrary to what you said I did not use the word scam.  I did not refer to Powerball or anyone at Powerball as scam artists and I did not lump them them in with scam artists.  You may have inferred that from what I did say but the truth is I did not say that.  To say that I did is (once again in your own words) wrong and unfair.  Furthermore, it is (IMHO) an attempt to discredit me and what I did say.  It takes away from the issues and the seriousness of this debate by mischaracterizing what I said.

I have stated my complaints as clearly and consisely as I know how to do.  I have used facts and figures when appropriate and tried to use reason and logic to support my point of view and temper my emotions.  I concede that  I may be wrong in how I see some of this.  The fact is I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again.  But your attempts to mischaracterize what I said and over simplify the issues I've raised do not constitute a valid counter argument and do not in any way shape or form convince me that I am wrong nor allay my concerns. 

I will state something clearly and consisely as well:  holding a check with the annuity payout amount is not deceptive advertising.

I have provided the reasons in prior posts, so there's no need to muddy my clear and concise message with that!

I definitely think if someone is posed for a photograph with a $220 million check, they should be able to take that to the bank and get $220 million!

Of course it is deceptive if they can't do that!

I'll also state something clearly and concisely: Pigs can fly.

There! That obviously makes it true.  If anything, the big fake checks are more deceptive than advertising the annuity value. Everybody knows that a check for n dollars means that when you cash it you actually get n dollars.

"I can't imagine there is any other business that offers more truth in advertising than a lottery."  Chuck can come here and spin it all he wants, but if lotteries are truly interested in truthful advertising then at the very least all advertising that includes a jackpot value should include the cash value, and the big ceremonial checks should be for the same amount as the real check. Suggesting, in any way, that somebody is getting $220 million dolalrs when they're really getting less than half of that is clearly misleading, and if done by a private company it would probably be deemed fraudulent.

Sure, all of the other lotteries do it. That doesn't mean it's right, or not deceptive. I guess your mom is grateful  that all the other kids weren't jumping off of bridges whe you were growing up.