Ever seen a lottery sellers store that looks like a Casino?  I can buy a drink in a Las Vegas casino and sit for hours watching people having a great time, enjoying the color, entertainment, and comfort of air conditioning.  Cost, about five bucks.  Five bucks at a lotto store and all I get is broken english and a need to get back in my car!

Although the goal of the Casino and the lottery is to take your money, I enjoy being screwed in Vegas, in the lottery store I feel unwanted.  When I was a kid and used to bet the numbers over my fence, there was more friendliness then the Inida seller who couldn't understand anything not written on a ticket. Las Vegas Casino's go out of their way, and spend millions, to make me a happy person - while taking my money.

Same goal, just one has pi** poor management!

Well everyone has their own way of figuring what jackpot to play for.

I figure out the yearly amount in todays dollars then multiply that by recent historic worst case inflation scenarios for 20, 25, 26 or 30 years depending on the game and then I multiply that by the annuity duration to get the jackpot that I play for.

As an example -

$50,000 * 4.831(30 years inflation) = $241,550 * 30years = 7.3 million advertised annuity amount.  Actuall figures will vary but that is as good a way to figure as any.

I agree with GamerMom.  The extra dollar should increase the lower tier prizes.  Only then will I spend it.  I got a few 3 out of 6 wins this year and on Wed I got 4 out of 6.  Had I spent the money on increasing the jackpot with the hope that I'd win with my other combinations (instead of just buying a few more tickets) I would have gotten nothing at all.   

The smallaplier option should be there too but I would not use it.

The only time I might do that is if PB/MM had an option that had bigger multipliers but only for second and third prizes. 

Hopefully PB/MM will do a double jackpot thing and powerplay/megaply  and maybe a goldaplier that has higher multipliers but only for second and third prizes and maybe silverplier with a higher multiplier for lower prizes.  That should be enough choices for most people.

So then you could jackpot kicker if you wanted and either PP/MP  or goldaply and/or silverply

If you are going to play a progressive machine you might as well have all three quarters in.

Florida doesn't have MM or PB.  This article is about the Florida Lotto.  It is a 6/53 game that starts at $3 million and rolls each time nobody wins.  The extra $1 adds $10 million as a bonus and, if you spend $3 per ticket, the bonus is increased to $25 million.  In all cases, you can choose to take your prize as a lump sum (averaging 55% of the total) or a 30 year annuity.   The winner in this story won $6 million and added $1 for a total of $16 million and took the lump sum.   All I was saying is that, in this case, he got very lucky.  Actually, even winning $6 million would be okay with me!  However, considering the odds are about 1:23M, I'd rather take the extra buck and bet it on another combination.  At least the Powerplay in PB gives people who don't win the jackpot a shot at a higher prize amount, but doesn't affect the jackpot.  The FL Lotto design is just the opposite and only gives the extra bonus to the jackpot winner.  Well, at least people are getting a choice.  Now they have 2 draws each day for the pick-3 and pick-4 so obviously FL is trying to make more money.  These are all new ideas, although they're not as popular & successful as the raffles.  I wish they'd take the extra money and use it for a revote.  (Too late for a 2000 recount!)

I take it you would want the Democratic Party to reverse its decision to exclude the results of the primaries for Florida and Michigan...getting excluded is what happens when you don't play by the rules...sorry Hil!  Anyway, I like the way Florida has its lotto setup with a jackpot winner having a chance to add on a bonus amount for an extra buck or two.  It would peeve me off to win the PB or MM (in TX) jackpot after having paid an extra buck for the Powerplay (Megaplier) as it would have no effect on my prize amount.  Sure I would have the satisfaction of having won the el grande jackpot.  Maybe that is why I don't buy Powerplay except when April rolls around and they throw the 10x Powerplay option out there (it didn't serve me at all this year but I have hit in one prior year...hmmm...I think I won't fall for that trick in the future and just save my dollar...ahhh, I'll save my dollar for when I visit Florida and then I will buy the $3 ticket! And yes, I will be sure to tell all of you if I win and how great it feels to have some extra millionaire dough for just $2).

I take it you would want the Democratic Party to reverse its decision to exclude the results of the primaries for Florida and Michigan...getting excluded is what happens when you don't play by the rules...sorry Hil! 

First of all it is N-O-T the Democratic Party, it is only the Democrat Party.  It has never tried to change its name. That is a minor attempt to fool the uneducated into something it is not.

Secondly, since some one else brought it up, no matter how you look at it, honesty shows the democrats took away the votes of millions; they are showing their real colors to the public.  Rules are rules, written to enhance the decision.  The party who demand all votes be counted, except when the results would be a disaster for them  They tried to tell American citizens, when they could vote and how they could vote.  I am not sure what is democratic about that. I am fairly sure George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson would feel differently then John Dean.  Now you wound up with an illegitimate canditate.  Kind of like Bush was said to be illegitimate when the human Florida votes were previsouly "ignored" then represented by some one elses opinion.  Personally, I prefer to have MY VOTE COUNTED not restructed for fear of riots and panic!  IF they allowed Forida (and Michigan) to be redone, The Big H would win!  Plain and simple, non-disbutable. Thus riots in the streets because the half-white guy didn't. So stated by Rev Sharpton numerous times!  It is how that group works, when in doubt, burn something.  Look at Detroit, look at Los Angeles, look at DC. Pretty soon, look at Denver!  History does not lie and cannot be re-written to be PLC!

Well I suppose you could see it that way but what I saw was an article about players having a choice.  Whatever game you have I believe the player should be given choices.

Currently Florida is the only state that offers players a chance to kick up the jackpot.  They should have a smalliplier too.  I know PB and MM are not sold in Florida and that is why Florida has one of the top in-state games in the country.  It would be the best if you could smalliply also.

If I ignore the truth, that purpose of the lottery is to take money away from you, not to give it to you, I agree with the premise.  I would love to see Mega or Powerball go to some concept of where paying an extra dollar or two and doubling or trippling the jackpot.  Obviously it would result in lower base jackpots, but, when you hit, man would it be nice!

If they take fity percent and apply it now, I am not sure if they would make enough off of those who pay the extra dollar or two, to come up with a X2 or X3 for the jackpot, but the thought would be nice!  That would require a lowering of the fifty percent profit.  How would they give out bonuses and build $60M offices for their staff?

Remember, the goal of the lottery is to take as much money from you as possible.  Your goal is outwit all the experts and tremendous odds; only you get to spend real money proving your point and they get to keep your money when you fail.  Who is right more often then not?

Think, I agree with you.  If you go back and read what I wrote, I did mention that at least the new game gives players a choice.   I was only stating that I try to stick to a budget and prefer to take any extra money I choose to spend and bet it on either another game or an additional ticket instead of increasing the jackpot.  Obviously the man who won $16 million is happy he spent one extra dollar for $10 million more.  For me, considering the odds, I'd rather increase my chances.  However, you do have a point.  If the jackpot was $3M or even $6M and 2 people won, it would certainly make a life-changing difference if one of the winners added the $10M or $25M bonus. 

If the jackpot was $3M or even $6M and 2 people won, it would certainly make a life-changing difference if one of the winners added the $10M or $25M bonus. 

Hummm. Very valid point.  I had not put that into the hopper.  I never think about the split; selfishness blocks that train of thought.  Good nudge!

I think I will ignore your reply to my post MeFirstYouLast, as I believe the Donkey Party is all screwed up anyway.  Hee-Haw!

 personally I tink we need to start bbqing both the elephants & donkeys b4 they can breed again

any one got some spare napalm ??

just for the record my dream team would have been kucinich/perot -- fat mouth + fat wallet = a better america

And two creepy, whacky, little men.