Lottery mega-jackpots generating less 'buzz'

Comment #30

MissNYC — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:22:44 GMT

It also doesn't help that there are numerous shows on TV that illustrate the lives of the rich or famous and make it all seem common place. When you hear this one's worth 150 million, that one's worth 300 million, you kind of get desensitized to hearing those huge amounts.

Comment #29

MissNYC — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:19:00 GMT

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.... [ More ]

Comment #28

JAG331 — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:37:04 GMT

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.

Comment #27

Coin Toss — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:30:11 GMT

JAG331

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

Comment #26

JAG331 — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 14:20:52 GMT

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... [ More ]

Comment #25

justxploring — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:45:47 GMT

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.

Comment #24

Coin Toss — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:39:28 GMT

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... [ More ]

Comment #23

RJOh — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:41:22 GMT

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 b... [ More ]

Comment #22

Coin Toss — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:05:00 GMT

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 i... [ More ]

Comment #21

DoubleDown — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:17:45 GMT

Yep.

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

Comment #20

ALX — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:57:30 GMT

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 ev... [ More ]

Comment #19

Badger — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:45:47 GMT

Exactly. The minimum is, I think, still 10 million. If anyone here wins 10 million and whines that it isn't enough to do anything with, they should consider that most people won't make that much in their entire working lifetime !

Quoting from the article

No one is experiencing those [long] lines anymore, Gerald S. Aubin, the head of the Rhode Island Lottery, said yesterday. I don't think it's a shortage of money. They're just not as excited about a $240 million jackpot as they were 10... [ More ]

Comment #18

Badger — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:36:47 GMT

It really doesn't change your chances. You aren't really playing against the other players, you are playing against the odds of winning. In Powerball, it's still something like 142 million to one that you will have a winning jackpot ticket. While its paramutuel, and sometimes there is more than one winner, that doesn't happen as often, and still doesn't change the odds of having a winning jackpot ticket.

Comment #17

DoubleDown — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:24:22 GMT

Everyone wants a "large" jackpot, but a $15MM win is fine with me too.

I notice that the Powerball was hit last night for $15 MM.

I'm sure the winner is not complaining..

DD

Comment #16

DoubleDown — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:22:00 GMT

One million ( pardon the pun ) percent, Konane...

They have got to adjust the matrix .

DD

Comment #15

justxploring — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 12:01:59 GMT

At first I was going to agree that people give up and are sick of losing. It makes sense, since the odds are so high. That was actually my first thought about many players and might be valid, but not for a large percentage of people. People who play mega jackpot games obviously know there's a slim chance they'll win, but it only takes 1 ticket. I'm also sick of losing for the past 30 years, but that doesn't stop me from buying tickets for Lotto twice a week. Of course, I admit I am totally ad... [ More ]

Comment #14

RJOh — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 08:48:56 GMT

Use to be when PowerBall or the BigGame had a jackpot of $200M, Ohioan had to travel just over the boarder and stand in line to buy tickets. Ohio eliminated that problem by joining MegaMillions and keeping that money in the State. Same thing happened in Ohio when its SuperLotto game was the best game around and then the surrounding states started their own 649 games, now none of them generate large jackpots. I don't think people are playing less, there are just more games and more places to p... [ More ]

Comment #13

konane — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:32:16 GMT

Thank you very much!! They've reached the point of no return already unless they combine into an El Gordo or something equally extravagant.... and I believe that would be a slow agonizing death for both.

Comment #12

Coin Toss — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:19:13 GMT

Intersting thread.

From the OP:

Sales start to skyrocket once Powerball makes front-page headlines.

Then it becomes a situation where you want to belong, Aubin said.

You want to take part; you want to participate in this whole discussion: if I win, what will I do?

No doubt, but my wife and I see that a little differently. We're not in a PB state but our state does border one. Whenever the jackpot gets up there, we have a friend who asks everybody he encounters that da... [ More ]

Comment #11

konane — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 03:33:51 GMT

In the race to the top (jackpot) both MM and PB ground up the matrix way too high and now seem to be paying for having done so. Good, now maybe they'll learn a lesson. Call it greed, competition, good business or bad advice from pencil necked number crunchers who don't live in the real world ..... however, this is one aspect of their shortsightedness I've complained about before.

There comes a time when dangling the carrot while spurring the horse doesn't work anymore. Since they're seei... [ More ]

Comment #10

tg636 — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:28:43 GMT

I agree with this. There's only so much sucking up of $1 after $1 without even a decent win that people feel like doing. It is not so much that people have jackpot fatigue, have decided the lottery is a bad investment or even that they feel financially strapped, it's that when you lose and lose again month after month for several years in a row eventually it becomes not a very fun game anymore. You get burned out. The prize could be a billion dollars but if you feel you won't win anything it do... [ More ]

Comment #9

MissNYC — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 00:56:58 GMT

My lottery pool and I are the types who will only play the Megamillions when it's 100mil or higher, otherwise, we play NY lotto. We also live close to CT, which makes it easy to play powerball as well. I think that the problem is that there are a lot of people out there just like us who wait for the larger jackpots, but if any of you have noticed, there haven't really been many lately, especially with the Megamillions. It barely gets over 100 mil let alone reaching those huge jackpots that were... [ More ]

Comment #8

qutgnt — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:41:41 GMT

People are sick of losing, period. You are so much better off going to the racetrack or casino with your money.

Comment #7

rwsmes — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:41:30 GMT

We play our own numbers so I don't care how high the jackpot is. Higher is nicer, but I don't think $12 or $15 million is too small to play for. We have played the same numbers in both Mega Millions and Powerball for years. $150 is the most I've ever won, but the dream of the jackpot is worth it.

You can have your daily frapuccino, I'll take my big games. I'm fortunate to live on the border of both Powerball Mega Millions States, so it's easy to play.

Comment #6

justxploring — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:07:07 GMT

I agree with many of the points you made, Michael. If PB or MM came to FL and I bought a ticket, I doubt if I'd care if the jackpot was $25M or $250M. Who wouldn't be happy winning $20 million? I think it's crazy that people think they have a better shot at the prize when the amount is higher. I know that isn't the only reason people wait to play, but I cannot possibly imagine that there is a gambler in the world who would be upset winning even a small jackpot like $15M.... [ More ]

Comment #5

delS — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:01:53 GMT

Michael

Good insights

Comment #4

Michael E. Port — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:53:54 GMT

Okay here I am: There is always a group of people who will buy lottery tickets. For instance, some people play the same four numbers day after day on the daily lottery. Others will play only Powerball and only when there is a large enough jackpot. If there are more large Powerball jackpots in a given year, then more people are likely to play the lottery than normally would, driving up sales.

Every month I have a certain amount I spend on the Lottery. I run three lottery Pools and I purc... [ More ]

Comment #3

delS — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:14:55 GMT

The fact that there is less excitement and sales in these lotteries are fine with me. It means my chances are higher.

Comment #2

CASH Only — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:07:30 GMT

I would prefer MM and PB not merging. Then there would be no competition.

Rhode Island still should join Hot Lotto even though it's computerized.

A newly-elected lawmaker in RI wants to raise the minimum age for ALL gambling in RI from 18 to 21.

Comment #1

LckyLary — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:32:36 GMT

Guess what, I have been predicting (and hoping for) this for a long time. I would just hope that they don't have to add 50 more balls or change the structure of the game itself too much. Although I would miss the periodic trips to PA.

I think the sales got slow because triple-digit jackpots are more frequent (due to both games eating into States' regular Lotto sales) and because most people don't come close on their numbers or they win what turnes out to be a smaller than expected prize i.e.... [ More ]

Lottery mega-jackpots generating less 'buzz'

Lottery Post — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:23:05 GMT

Rhode Island Lottery chief predicts Powerball and Mega Millions will merge in the future

Just a few years ago, a $240 million Powerball jackpot would have drawn long lines at gas stations and convenience stores across the state.

But last week there was little buzz. And forget about lines.

Call it jackpot fatigue.

Rhode Islanders' appetite for gambling has lowered. And we're not alone. Elsewhere in the region, sales of lottery tickets and other forms of gambling are either less th... [ More ]