Lottery mega-jackpots generating less 'buzz'

I agree too. People may be interested in big jackpots but the truth is that they hate playing a losing game and it is starting to finally show. When winning the jackpot is $50 million, winning 4 out of 5 pays $150 and 3 out of 5 pays $7 you have to be an idiot to play. And every time they modify any lottery they somehow make it harder to boot. I a used to buy a few MM tickets every draw but got completely discouraged and only buy 1 QP per draw. When you buy $5 or 5 lines of 6 #s and you don't even get 1 # wnat fun is that? I consistently get no numbers on my 2 QPs that I buy each week. It really is bad. When I started playing lottery 30 years ago it was always fun to see a number or three and win a couple of bucks and it kept my interest. People have better things to do with their money than pay to get ripped off.

Yep.

That pretty much sums( another intended pun ) it up.

I would really like to see a multi-state game where the top jackpot maybe has a ceiling and when it is reached more money goes into the lower prizes, or a game where the winner base is "wider", not potentially one person winning an obscene amount.

Mega Millioins has foxed lower prizes, Powerball has made an attempt with the multiplier, but it's still the player paying more for that, so in essence, another lottery within itself.  

As Badger pointed out, most people won't make $10 million in their lifetime, so who really needs hundreds of millions? 

For those who would still chase rainbows offered from games that are hit 12 to 15 times a year out of 104 draws, let them.  

Coin Toss,
Years ago when OhioSuper Lotto was generating jackpots of $40-$75M and people from surrounding states would cross the boarder to play, some one decided to limit each winning ticket to $20M and many people stopped playing and the game never recovered.  PowerBall have a similar rule when its jackpot reaches a record amount but that is so high that it's unlikely to happen more than a few times during a lifetime.  As you pointed out, most people will not make $10M in their lifetime but both multi-state games sell more tickets when their jackpots are more than $20M.

RJOH

Oh yeah, I know - greed isn't just on the player side of things. I'm just saying if there was a situation where people had a choice of playing a lotto that is going to produce 1 $100,000,000 winner or another lotto that is going to produce 10 $10,000,000 winners, I'm playing the one with a smaller jackpot but more jackpots paid out.

Unfortunately, such a game doesn't exist (in the U.S. anyway).

Might be a good marketing test though, put a ceiling on a jackpot but let what comes in after that "spill" into second and third place, make it "easier" to hit,  and have more big winners, just not as big.

Lotteries are the only game that really produce millionaires (although "instant" ones) and it's kind of a shame that even at that they produce so few because so many people want to be not only a millionaire but a "hundred-millionsaire".

Tp paraphrase another saying, I guess "the people get the lotto (government) they deserve".

I know this isn't about the Lottery, but when such a comment as what was above stated is made, I think of that show Deal or No Deal.  Ordinary people who average $30K a year in income will turn down a sure $200K just for a shot at a million bucks.  It's insane.  I can't imagine being offered over $100K and saying "No Deal" and walking away with $25 bucks because you made a bad choice.  Tells you something about the world we live in however.

A couple of thoughts....

1.  MM and PB should not merge.  When someone wins a jackpot, there's a good chance the other game's jackpot will be at a high level.  I like to play for the higher cash value, since the difference in odds between the two games is negligible.

2.  These two lotteries need to keep the public interested by dangling a better carrot.  Perhaps a $1 prize for matching 2/5.  Add a few extra numbers if necessary.  Something to keep the public winning every 4th or 5th ticket and coming back to buy more.

JAG331

Adding a $1 payout for 2 out of 5 is hardly "dangling a better carrot".

I didn't say it was a fresh carrot!  :0)

Just better in the sense that when you reward people with a small prize every couple of games, they will keep coming back, e.g. scratchers and slots.

It's possible to go dozens of tickets in PB and MM without winning a dime.

I'm sure the winner is not complaining, but I also bet part of him wishes it had rolled from the previous drawing, which would have made it close to 300 million. I believe for 15 mil, one could play another lottery game. I play powerball or megamillions for their "mega jackpots," however, the jackpots never seem to grow as large as they used to a year or two ago. What are the odds someone wins two weeks in a row? I think they need to add another number or two to get the game exciting again.