How many people are not sure how much they spend on the lottery?

Hi grwurston,

It's good that you just enjoy playing and don't have to worry about a lottery budget. My winnings are not

often but I still play hoping for something.

Hi CajunWin4,

It's great that you have a daily, weekly and monthly budget and that you keep an

expense report. I'm not organized in that regard and really should be.

Hi weshar75,

It's good you know how much you spend per month. Like you I also try to have a ticket in each drawing.

I seem to go back and forth about using the megaplier and powerplay. I do like the fact that if you do the

MP or PP you can win a little more than by not playing it, and since I strive for the 2nd place prize there

is a big difference between 250K and 1Mill on the MM if you do MP with it. I'm starting to think that I should

just not buy more than one ticket for PB or MM. I had been good about buying one ticket and rarely buying

more for each drawing, but lately when the jackpots have gotten very high I have bought more than one

ticket but not with good results so will stay with my one ticket per draw.

Hi haymaker,

No worries. I also do not have experience in ratings.

I'm more interested in profitable forms of gambling.  I'm not 21 yet, but studying games like Poker and Blackjack that can give the player a mathemetical edge are preferable than lottery games which don't offer an edge (at least most times).

Actually, I've been putting aside a small bankroll for this project (when I turn 21, that is).  One day, I saw an oppurtunity in which I had a real advantage over the state's Pick 3.  You see, NJ is parimutal, meaning that prizes are determined by sales divided by winning tickets * 50 percent.  They were running a promotion, and that night there was going to draw two winning numbers.  Their payback was going to be 100%.  But because they are parimutual, I played a bunch of numbers that have had historically higher than average payouts.

This give me an estimated 10% advantage, but with the high variance of the bet, I only took a small portion of money from my bankroll for the advantage gambling project, therefore, I don't count that in my lottery/entertainment expense.  That, to me was an investment, rather than a lottery ticket from my entertainment budget.  I didn't end up winning, but I knew it was a profitable bet to take, so I took it.

So I guess everyone has their own budgeting, but I can say after rethinking my statement earlier, I probably spend marginally more, about 150 dollars a year.

Last week, due to PB's pot growing (still is!) and also IL Lucky Lotto going up to $770K, I went over-budget last week.

I spent $15 on Lucky Lotto and of course didnt win anything, not even $1.  Am going to try to stick to my rule which is to buy a $5 QP when Lucky Day Lotto goes over $250 K.  I also kept buying $2 PBs tickets last week whenver I was at a store which also added up...a lot ! Just buying 2 QPs this week...1 w/ Power Play and 1 without.

I have no idea what I spend...I don't keep track.

Try to have at least $1 in for every Rolling Cash 5 drawing.  (Ohio's 5/39 game, drawn 7 days a week.)  When the jackpot starts getting bigger, I'll buy multiple tickets for a drawing.

Buy MM and PB tickets occasionally when the jackpots are getting higher.

Dabble in Ohio's Classic Lotto too, though I don't play it as much since the really big jackpot went.  (Though it is growing again...)

I go in spurts with Pick3, Pick4, and scratch-offs.

And then, of course, if we eat at a restaurant that has Keno, I can't resist playing $5-$10 on that too.

Good money wins.

Bad money wins.

Honest money wins.

Crooked money wins.

Rich money wins.

Last dollar to your name money wins.

But scared money never wins.

Bet it and forget it.

Don't sweat it or regret it.

"I'm not 21 yet, but studying games like Poker and Blackjack that can give the player a mathemetical edge are preferable than lottery games which don't offer an edge (at least most times)."

Right now U.S. online poker is stuck in limbo because Congress can't or won't create legislation while the good poker players around the world are making a good living playing online poker. Live poker is still going strong, but just not the same. The World Series of Poker started the other day and millions will be won and lost over the next couple months.

"I didn't end up winning, but I knew it was a profitable bet to take, so I took it."

You started out by mentioning two gambling games where a good player can create a small statistical edge (especially in poker) and then conclude by saying you're planning on betting with a very small bankroll on a game where the house aways has a huge statistical edge. Granted it makes more sense to bet on Pick-3 numbers that will produce higher payoffs, but none of those payoffs will exceed the starting 999 to 1 odds against any bet.

And it's the first time I've heard anyone compare poker and blackjack to pick-3 games in a conversation about possible profitable forms of gambling.

 I play both scratchers & most of the other games available here in FL.

The online games such as PowerBall, Fantasy 5, Cash 3 etc etc I typically spend:

POWERBALL $2-$4 Bux a draw twice a week: $8 week max

FL Lottery (Pick 6 game) - $1-$2 per draw. $4 max per week total 

(IMO there are way too many combinations to worry about increasing the odds on FL Lotto & PowerBall. If it's meant to be, my measly couple bux will get me there)

FANTASY 5 - $1- $2 DAILY = $14 WEEK MAX

PLAY 4 - $2 Daily  - ($1 MID/$1EVE) $14 WEEK MAX

So, on average I spend typically $40 bux a week total for online games.

Scratchers I cut WAAAAY back from what I used to play. Sometimes I will start off with $100 bux in my pocket, and my goal at the end of the day is to at least come home with the same amount. If I end up losing a decent amount of it, I will hold off for 2-3 days and try again. Anytime I win $100 or more, I make sure to hang on to at least half of it so the next day I'll start ahead.

The most important thing to remember, is to not lose yourself in the game. I've heard way too many stories about people blowing hundreds in a single setting trying to catch that big winner. Next thing ya know they are repeating the trend at another store and it happens again. Then they get depressed because they just lost $1,000 +.... If a person does that, it  can take you to a dark place that you don't want to go.

People always have to remember, a Top Prize comes at the right place & right time. You CANNOT force it to happen.

Maybe I didn't explain it clearly or in depth enough.  This only occured for one drawing.

Basically, they were running a promotion in which that night was going to have 2 winning numbers picked, therefore, the EV was 1.00.  There would be a 100% return.  However, because they payouts are parimutual, I created a small advantage by picking numbers that have historically higher payouts, because they would be more likely to be paid out at a higher rate, giving me an edge over the drawing for THAT NIGHT ONLY.

Basically, there was 2 numbers being drawn that would payout an expected 529 ish to 1.  Because there would be two winning numbers, I gained an advantage.

I'm not sure how much I spend each week because it varies.  A lot will depend upon how many singles I have in my pocket, or how many singles I might get back in change from a ten or twenty dollar bill.  It also depends on if I buy gas, and the station sells lottery tickets, or what grocery store I'm in.  Then too, it might come down to if the jackpot for MM or PB is big. (I always buy the Power Play or Megaplier - IMHO it's crazy not to buy it)  Like for instance this morning I stopped for gas, and I saw the PB Jackpot is $164 million, so I bought 2 lines with the PowerPlay.  Cost me 6 bucks.

It also depends upon if I'm in Connecticut. (I live in eastern New York State, about a half hours drive to the  Connecticut border)  I like New England's new regional game, Lucky For Life.  So when I'm in Ct, I buy L4L tickets.  I get over there maybe once a month.  My daughter is a college student near Bridgeport, so when we go visit her, I buy L4L.

I also have a subscription for New York's Lotto.  It's drawn twice per week, and I'm automatically entered into each drawing for just 2 games (That only costs $1.00 per drawing because it's 50 cents per game).  That's just 2 bucks a week, and I bought a one year subscription, so it cost me $104 to play automatically for one year.  I bought my subscripion a few months ago, so I'm good until March of 2013 with that.  I'm not too concerned with winning the jackpot in that game.  It's 2nd place I'm after.   Like the JP, second place rolls over until somebody wins it. The odds to win 2nd place arent nearly as bad as the JP's, and it usually gets to a nice prize level.  Right now it's about $300,000.  That's the real reason I bought my subscription.  I used to have to watch it every week, and then remember to go buy a ticket when 2nd place got over $100,000.  But the trouble was I'd forget to buy the ticket, and somebody would win it.  I solved that problem by buying my subscription.  Now I dont even watch it, and I'm automatically entered into every drawing.

As for scratcher's, well, I'll buy one every now and then, but I dont buy the 20 dollar kinds. I'm a two dollar or 5 dollar man.  The thing about them I dont like is, you dont know if all the top prizes have been won or not. If they have been won, you would be buying a ticket that cant possibly win the top prize.

So as you can see, I dont have a budget, but I dont go crazy either.  My thinking is along these lines:  It's nearly impossibe to win big money, but I also know I wont ever win any money if I dont give myself the opportunity to win because I didnt buy any tickets.  So I give myself the chance to win. I never expect to win, because I've lost more than I've won.  And.... for me personally, it's fun to play, it's entertainment.  I dont smoke or drink, so I guess I gotta have one vice....

On scratchers, check your state website to see if it shows outstanding prizes,

I don't buy scratchers much, but when i do i check to see if big prizes are not won yet.

not sure on the exact number but know approx how much

rather not know exactly how much 

  If I were to know the real number, I think I might put a gun to my head. Ignorance is bliss!