I play be expectation value, the ratio of the prize to the odds.  The long odds have decreased my playing.

But for the lotteries, it comes down to luck, as it does for the players.  Long odds do not assure rollovers.   

They do make rollovers more probable, but not necessarily large jackpots.

I would try better odds if I wanted to increase sales, but it's hardly my call. 

I don't think that raising the odds will encourage people to play, I think that larger jackpots will. Yeah there will be a waiting period, but it is also likely that the jackpot will remain larger longer, and despite the odds, if there is a 400 or 500 million dollar jackpot out there, people will be more likely to at least buy 1 ticket. My point is that for better odds and smaller jackpots, I play my local lottery, but I'll only fork over the money for the megamillions when their are "mega" jackpots. I guess you can say it's the odds that will keep me from playing when the pot is small, but when it grows, the odds don't really mean a whole lot, at least to me.

Will someone please tell me, what is wrong with our American society that  some people don't feel the lottery is worth their time or their money unless it's $200 million or more?

I would be grateful (and the operative word is grateful) to win $15 million. People need to get off their pompous, high horses because...most people don't make $100,000 or more a year!

Now, it seems that some people lust for more and more -- they have become greedy to the extent that even the word greedy is vulgar, distasteful, disdainful, and sinful.  Let's be thankful for what we receive because there are many people who would damn near give their right arm for a $15 million win -- let alone -- a $200 million lottery hit!

Because playing a game that has odds of 140 million to one for a 15 million jackpot that is watered down through cash value and taxes to about 4.5 million is hardly a good investment. If you would be happy with 100k why dont you play games that will give you a better chance at winning that than pissing your money down the toliet trying to chase down totally astronomical odds.

For clarification, my reference to the $100,000 a year was based on salary, not a particular game or games. People get out of their beds, day-after-day, making less: $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, etc. Yes, there are executives making 6 figures -- and some are not playing the lottery.  It seems as if they are content with what they are making.  That was my original point!

In GA the jackpot got big for Mega Millions, over 200 millions. I wouldn't think twice about complaining about 5 million, but maybe I'm old school there. The thing to remember about Holywood is that the Paris Hiltons of the world have no concept of money because it was always handed to them.

What I meant to say is I wouldn't think about complaining.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy winning 10k, all I'm saying is that for the Mega millions or Powerball to entice me over a local lottery, it would have to be a big one, and the bigger the better, sometimes it's just fun to dream big. What was big 5 years ago doesn't seem to get the same attention, so I think they should go a bit bigger if they want that same attention they've had in the past.

There are things a lottery can do to overcome so-called "jackpot fatigue", some are pretty, some aren't. The first remedy is simple patience. Unfortunately, most states have seemed to put all their eggs into one basket, that being either PB or MM, so waiting may not be much of an option when most of your ad budget is going to a "lost cause". There are lot's of things these games can do to get people back, such as add more prizes, increase lower tier prizes, raise the price and lower the odds (both have to be done in order for it to work). Other than raising the prices, however, none of this will happen. Lottery directors have a tendency to think low of their players, they think players will buy anything no matter how bad it is.

They've made the matrix too high, odds too long where you spend, spend, spend and get no return.

Mega Millions and Powerball both are no fun any longer due to this.  Have covered it ad nauseam in my previous posts.

Do a visual of someone sitting on a donkey, spurs buried in its ribs dangling a carrot on a stick, whomping its rear with another stick.  That's exactly how MM and PB are treating players and the only winners have been them to this point.

Now they're feeling self inflicted pain.  Good it's about time!!  Hope they continue to feel it deeply in thier pockets, suffering results of their own greed .... by discounting intelligence of players and their willingness to toss money down a rat hole.

Bring the matrix down .... make playing the games FUN again and players might $$$pend more.