N.D. Lottery wrestles with credit card buying options

Comment #20

justxploring — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:57:08 GMT

I'm not familiar with Canadian banks, but if you get charged $1.50 to view your checks, I would check out other banks to see what they offer. I don't understand why there would be any fee at all.

Comment #19

tungsten chef — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:41:23 GMT

tonight i went to the store to get my 6 49's. a fellow had 7$ worth of pick 3 tickets. was gonna pay with his visa, but the owner said no. i guess the bank charges the guy 22 cents for the transaction. anyway the fellow buying the tickets was hotter than a pistol. telling him to shove the tickets, i ain't coming here no more. was quite funny actually.

banks. that's another topic. they always get paid first. i just noticed my online banking. you can veiw a cheque you wrote, but it will cost yo... [ More ]

Comment #18

TexasDreams — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:17:56 GMT

I have to agree, people who use their credit wisely should be allowed to use their credit cards, if a person wishes to use their credit cards for lotto purchases they will, either as cash advances or those credit checks! The same argument can be used to play or not to play the lotto as you have people who play responsibly and others who don't, just as you have people who manage their credit responsibly and others who don't.

Comment #17

Stack47 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:23:04 GMT

Horse racing, car racing and sports teams don't randomly win.

The difference is a horse or car's odds are based on their chances of winning the race against the other entries in that race and how much is bet on it. In lottery games we hear terms like hot, cold, due, or this or that numbers but in a random draw with 10 numbers each number has a 1 in 10 chance of being drawn. And adding more numbers does decrease the chance of a number being drawn.

Once a racing card is set and the betting... [ More ]

Comment #16

Coin Toss — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:33:42 GMT

Ego. Winning a jackpot isn't enough, some people want it to be a record jackpot.

Comment #15

justxploring — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:59:49 GMT

Also, buying a 52 week subscription for Powerball does not allow for changes to the Powerball Matrix

I have a question. Why would anyone in his/her right mind want the matrix to increase? There are around 10 winners a year. There are approx 302M people in the United States. In 20 years (not counting large pools) based on today's odds there will be about 200 or 250 more winners. That's the size of a wedding and some seminars I've attended.

So when people say they want higher odds,... [ More ]

Comment #14

justxploring — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:18:29 GMT

I understand what you are saying rwsmes, but I don't think the horse race is a fair comparison. If you bet on a horse, you are comparing him to the other horses. Horse racing, car racing and sports teams don't randomly win. They win based on breeding, the driver/engineering and athletic skills. Sure there's some luck, both good bad.

I totally agree that adding numbers changes the game, but there have been plenty of wins with lower numbers. The worst athlete doesn't ever win the race.... [ More ]

Comment #13

rwsmes — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:18:19 GMT

OK kids, if the Matrix changes, your odds change and the bet you made is not the same. It is in the MUSL regs that changes cannot be made without giving notice to the states with the longest advance purchase.

It would be like selling you a ticket for the ninth race at the start of the card and after you bought your bet, they added 4 more horses.

Get it

Comment #12

Coin Toss — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:27:12 GMT

Oh , once you get the refund, you HAVE to play the same numbers...just because

Comment #11

justxploring — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:09:56 GMT

The original post that mentioned the matrix would definitely apply if another ball was added. For example, we have a game here that's sort of like PB but jackpots start at $500,000 and roll to $2 million max. There are 4 balls drawn and then 1 MegaMoney ball. If they added a ball, of course it would make a huge difference and it would be impossible to use the same tickets. I also know where you are coming from when you say it changes the odds, but I'm wondering if the ND lottery would credit... [ More ]

Comment #10

Coin Toss — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:02:40 GMT

OK, here we go:

Coin Toss, can you tell me why you think your chances are worse? I realize the odds change when even 1 number is added, but I kept my 6 numbers when FL changed from a 6/49 game to a 6/53 game and don't remember any announcements about advanced plays being invalid.

Granted the odds are astronimical to begin with, but, the following would make an intereting court case.

A lottery ticket is a contract, at least of sorts (I'm sure some legal breagle here on LP can expo... [ More ]

Comment #9

justxploring — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:54:39 GMT

(no I haven't been on LP all day. LOL...working from home and just got back on)

Coin Toss writes: The question about the matrix changing brings up a good point- if the ticket was considered still good, the player's chances are reduced even more. I wonder what would happen in such a situation.

Coin Toss, can you tell me why you think your chances are worse? I realize the odds change when even 1 number is added, but I kept my 6 numbers when FL changed from a 6/49 game to a 6/53 game a... [ More ]

Comment #8

justxploring — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:22:48 GMT

LuckyLilly writes: I just wanted to make the point that just because someone chooses to charge an item on their credit card doesn't mean they're running up debt.

I totally agree, Lilly. I think you misunderstood me. I wrote that comment tongue-in-cheek in response to Mr. Brooks in the article. I was really saying that I don't like people telling me what I can or cannot do with my money, credit card, body... Yes, there are many people who need guidance and protection from their own bad habi... [ More ]

Comment #7

LuckyLilly — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:30:32 GMT

I'm against people running up credit card debt too. I just wanted to make the point that just because someone chooses to charge an item on their credit card doesn't mean they're running up debt.

There are millions of us (myself included) who pay off their credit cards every single month. Some people use credit cards for the convenience. I use mine to get the rewards points. I get hundreds of dollars every year from my CC company just for charging everything I can. Of course it wouldn't... [ More ]

Comment #6

LuckyLilly — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:02:35 GMT

When the matrix changes, it's always an expansion, right? So any numbers chosen within the previous matrix would still be good. On their application, you have a choice to pick your own numbers, or do a quick pick. If you pick your own numbers, you most likely stay with them no matter if there's a matrix change (I have stayed with mine thru all the matrix changes in the last 13 years).

It says right on the application that a quick pick generates ONE set of numbers for the length of the sub... [ More ]

Comment #5

Coin Toss — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:04:26 GMT

Re: Snow in North Dakota, think of the movie Fargo, yah?

I get the daily e-mail list of winners for the Pick 5 game in Illinois (there's a drawing every night) and in three years of getting it I've seen two subscription jackpot winners.

The question about the matrix changing brings up a good point- if the ticket was considered still good, the player's chances are reduced even more. I wonder what would happen in such a situation.

Of course, from the tone of the article in the OP, i... [ More ]

Comment #4

justxploring — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:03:47 GMT

When I signed on earlier I began responding to the other comments and not sticking to the subject matter which is the use of credit cards for purchasing lottery tickets.

To tell you the truth, as much as I'm against it, I think we have every right in the world to be irresponsible and buy anything we want on credit until we're so deep in debt we need to sell blood every week just to make the minimum monthly payment.

One benefit I didn't mention in my other post is that subscriptions... [ More ]

Comment #3

justxploring — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:36:05 GMT

Huh? I disagree with both of you.

I doubt if your remark about changes to the matrix is true. They can simply give the player a credit and apply it to the new game. This isn't the same as an advanced play when you go into a retailer and check a box. When you purchase a subscription, you complete a form with your name, address and telephone number. They keep a record of your purchase and notify you of any wins. If you win a small prize of $5 or less, they use the money to extend your subs... [ More ]

Comment #2

chasingadream — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:18:13 GMT

good point....hadn't thought about that

Comment #1

rwsmes — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:38:15 GMT

Why on earth would a Lottery try to compete with their retailers for sales? Also, buying a 52 week subscription for Powerball does not allow for changes to the Powerball Matrix or prize payout for all states, without giving a years notice. What are these yahoos in ND thinking of

N.D. Lottery wrestles with credit card buying options

Lottery Post — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:10:31 GMT

The North Dakota Lottery's recently announced holiday sale of ticket subscriptions highlights a quirk in its operations. Gamblers are barred from using a credit card to buy tickets, but they may use plastic to play one of the lottery's four games dozens of times over an extended period.

Credit card sales are limited to subscriptions, said Chuck Keller, the director of North Dakota's lottery. A subscription allows a gambler to buy a chance to play the same lottery number for 13, 26 or 52 strai... [ More ]