State lotteries losing revenue to 'jackpot fatigue' and casinos

Comment #57

txwinr — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 02:18:45 GMT

Didn't they try that with Monopoly or something like thatand it bombed

Comment #56

Hermanus104 — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 18:25:15 GMT

Ron5995: combined with horrible payback low as 40%.

You should see the payback on some Mega Millions/Powerball prizes and the Georgia Five numbers game.

Example: 3+1 on Mega Millions; odds 1 in 10,740; prize $50. That is a payback of 0.47%. Why should I play Mega Millions when I can win $5,000 with the Pick-4 with immaterially better odds? Also note that the jackpot payback starts at 5.79% payback ($15,000,000 vs. 1 in 258,890,850 odds).

Comment #55

rcbbuckeye — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 16:43:54 GMT

If 100 people won a $1 million dollars instead of one person winning $100 million dollars, more would play .

That really is a tired phrase that is not really accurate, because people don't think. Do you know the odds are better to hit $1 million in MM and PB than they are for Texas Lotto? I bet you didn't. Did you know there was a Texas Lotto winner last night on a QP?

I'm not defending MM or PB, but just pointing out that there ARE $1 million prizes. At my age, that is one of the reasons... [ More ]

Comment #54

justAndy1970 — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 21:04:31 GMT

If 100 million people won a $1 million dollars, instead of one person winning $100 million dollars more would play. I have been playing Mega Ball and Power Ball in my state, Texas since they came out. To date I have won 1 middle second prize and 34 lower tier second prizes, not saying much for over 20 years of playing the same numbers every drawing. Actually, with how it is rigged now I am considering washing my hands and stop playing at all. It is apparent that they cannot afford the jackpot th... [ More ]

Comment #53

Think — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:39:32 GMT

It isn't jackpot fatigue. They just got too greedy with their divide and conquer strategies.

There are too many games. So many that nobody wins anything on any of them very often.

They also keep raising the odds.

We need fewer and better games that people actually win more frequently.

It isn't jackpot fatigue it is losing fatigue .

Okay, so I may not win but nobody else is winning either!

Michigan, for example, could get rid of the Daily Keno, Poker Lotto, Cla... [ More ]

Comment #52

psykomo — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 17:21:22 GMT

JL:

and....SECOND D MOTION.... ....TOO

Comment #51

cbr$ — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 16:20:06 GMT

In a state where there is little or not much adult entertainment. The Lottery could thrive.

When you get competition of other forms of gambling especially casinos people are more

enthusiastic with this concept of a night out. It a faster pace. The idea you're going to get

paid if you win right then. It doesn't matter if it happen at 10pm or 4 pm. When you hit a

$1000 or more in the lottery you now get to make arrangement to found the nearest lottery

Headquarter to get pa... [ More ]

Comment #50

Redd55 — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 14:36:28 GMT

So, often what they do to spice things up are lame. In Calif, they were offering 2-5 day vacation packages, all within the state, that could not be converted to cash or transferred to anyone else. Things that they did which motivated people, i.e, the second chance grand prize drawing on all scratchers, they eliminated.

Comment #49

GiveFive — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 12:01:21 GMT

While I like to play the lottery, I'm not a lottery professional. By that, I mean I'm not employed by The Lottery in my state. I know all about the lottery's very long odds, I completely understand how bad they really are, but I play anyway. It's not because I think I'll get rich someday, for me personally, it's a little fun, I might win a few bucks back, and who knows, maybe The Mother Lode will come crashing down on me!

In New York where I live, there's a 5/39 game called Take5. Quite a wh... [ More ]

Comment #48

grwurston — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:42:42 GMT

That's exactly how it was here in Md. Everyone went to Del., N.J., W.Va. They finally realized people were going to gamble and spend their money where ever the casinos were. And once the state legislators came to grips with how much money they were losing to neighboring states, they opened the casinos and haven't had any regrets since. Hopefully for you Va. will finally see the light also.

Comment #47

brownsy — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:21:31 GMT

Our state refuses to open a casino--the bible belt they calls it --yet on weekdays days and week end the buses travels to the neighbouring states to the casinos not to mention the people who travels in their private vehicles-- so they need not complain about the lost revenue---if they don't give the people what they want--they will go elsewhere

even if it means going out of state

Comment #46

Deo-nonfortuna — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:07:34 GMT

Well boo hoo, they can all go bankrupted for all I care. Internet gambling will make them disappear eventually.

Comment #45

brownsy — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:01:56 GMT

I agree with you all the lottery have gotten greedy--they have too many games almost every night is a game besides the pk 3 and 4 and even then there are way too many repeats of numbers - and this goes for the scratch tickets--too many of those -- there is no casino in my state--but I rather save my money and travel two hours to the neighbouring state and visit the casino

Comment #44

grwurston — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 20:02:04 GMT

When you realize that every person in the country over 18 years old could buy one PB ticket and there would still be 42 million unsold combinations, the question is why bother?

And when the Mega Millions matrix changes in October your chances of winning the jackpot will be a helluva lot worse. There will then be 52 million unsold combinations.

Comment #43

mypiemaster — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 18:32:24 GMT

It's not jackpot fatigue people, it's price of ticket fatigue , the never ending jacking up of odds fatigue . If you wheel your numbers, you know exactly what I'm trying to say. I make my money mostly from P5/P3 and that keeps me in the game, thank God. I still play PB/MM on a regular basis, but every time I wheel those numbers, I feel so dirty like MUSL VIOLATION . I know some rockhead is gonna scream , STOP PLAYING, DON'T PLAY IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT . But that is beside the point.... [ More ]

Comment #42

Hankdorkman — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 15:07:01 GMT

If people really wanted to win one of the big jackpots all you have to do is move to the state of New Jersey and become friend's with the fat piece of snip of the governor everyone knows he's a thief look how many times people of New jersey have hit the lottery mega millions and Powerball and last several months alone you had millions dollar winners left and right what is the odds of that happin some states don't even come close like Pa. The same states keep winning over and over .The lottery co... [ More ]

Comment #41

gr8ter — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 03:22:22 GMT

Comment #40

rcbbuckeye — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 02:23:11 GMT

I'm surprised you've been around as long as you have and yet don't know the difference between the cash jackpot and the annuity jackpot. Where's the $88,700,000.00 million dollars ? LOL. It didn't go anywhere! The cash jackpot amount is the real jackpot. It's the amount that the lottery would need to invest in an annuity to pay the $143,000,000 over the life of the annuity. So if you want payments over 30 years, they invest that 88 million to reach 143 million over 30 years. Most people, me incl... [ More ]

Comment #39

Cruzincat — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 01:43:50 GMT

Most people only play the lottery games that offer life changing money if you would get lucky. When Powerball went to $2.00, I stopped playing except for occasionally when the jackpot was crazy high. I buy multi draws on one MM ticket so I don't have to keep going back. Chances are, when MM goes to $2.00, I will be done with the lottery except when it is crazy high, and even then, if I forget to get a ticket, I won't be concerned.

Right now, for example, my last multi draw MM is expired... [ More ]

Comment #38

amber123 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 17:55:39 GMT

People-are-waking-up-and-realizing-the-odds-are-against-them-winning-and-it's-a-waste-of-money.

Comment #37

Pick'em — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 16:01:53 GMT

So let me get this straight.

There are 44 states that play both the Mega Millions and the Powerball Lotteries?

I totaled up all the people that live in the 44 states and this is the total population of all 44 states. (238,443,102 people, give or take a few hundred) I know everyone doesn't play the lottery, but most of everyone spends a dollar or two hoping for that American dream to be a multi millionaire.

The Mega Million play is $1.00 dollar and Megaplier is $2.00 dollars.

The Powe... [ More ]

Comment #36

Redd55 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 15:33:54 GMT

This explains a lot.

The CA SuperLotto is approx. 40 to 1 odds. Tho a large population state with a large number of tickets sold, it is not enough, so we end up going months on end with no winner. The second tier prizes also sux. For the second time in recent months they offered a buy 5 and get 1 free promo.

Obviously, it is lottery fatigue and not jackpot fatigue. No one is tired of winning a jackpot. They are tired of lousy lottery games.

Comment #35

Prob988 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 13:51:01 GMT

I am certainly playing less than I used to, because I track the pretax expectation value. The lotteries have been reducing expectation values continuously and are now about to do so for Megamillions, a game they completely destroyed in a killing the goose that lays golden eggs scenario by raising the odds of winning the jackpot to ever more astronomical levels.

I doubt that MM will rarely reach the expectation value at which I am interested in playing after October.

Comment #34

GiveFive — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 12:52:12 GMT

In New York ball and drum machines are used for Pick3, Win4, Take5, Cash 4Life and Lotto. All drawings are either televised, or can be viewed online. (when viewing the drawing via a computer actually works) Doing so has not prevented revenues from falling at all.

In 2014, NY retired Sweet Million. (A 6/40 matrix with 3.8 million to 1 odds to win one million dollars) The odds to win the jackpot were nice, but the second place prize was a fixed (not to mention lousy) 500 bucks for 5 out of 6 nu... [ More ]

Comment #33

dartiger — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 09:38:27 GMT

greed is their downfall, afternoon, evening 3, 4, and 5 digits people only have but so much money

Comment #32

Bleudog101 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 08:35:28 GMT

Don't forget which state still holds the record for most Powerball jackpots and that is Indiana. I feel that will be over with soon with NY, FL, NJ and CA chipping away. We always play when we go to the boat as we call it (casino) in Indiana. Of course you know the end result sans picture of me holding up a check from Indianapolis

Comment #31

princessanita — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 04:53:05 GMT

So many people play on 5 dime and the state get zero of it

Comment #30

weshar75 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 04:13:49 GMT

New york has won mega millions at least once every year for like the past six years and has won powerball a couple of times in the last six years my small state oregon has never won mega millions since joining in 2010 and has not had a powerball winner in a decade. I checked the winners section on powerball and mega millions websites. So come on man enough with this rigged stuff.-weshar75

Comment #29

Seanpi — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 03:13:21 GMT

Yes you got it rigged. Atleast we are smart enough to see that because there are many people who failed to realize that the lottery is rigg. They have a certain to win it for example, you will always mostly see jackpot winner from Ohio, Florida and Tennesey also California. These states are fix to win most jackpot lets just say of you live in New york or other states, don't even waste time to much because you ain't gonna win a lotterry jackpot there easily. As we already they know where the jack... [ More ]

Comment #28

Cassie8620 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:58:55 GMT

i am racking up cash $ on p4 game in my state and pick 3. Better odds/easier for me,and i love that.

Maybe, as my father say, just maybe Cassie, if the states each one give it to more winner's, and not I.E., 1 winner for 30 million to 100 or 500 million,then people will try more to win. I agree. So i do not really play bigger games.

I am happy with p4 wins like today ALMOST 8,000.00 done!(1 number and multiple x brought me in this big win.)as all summer off/on.

so good luck to all.... [ More ]

Comment #27

OneTrickpony — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:48:35 GMT

I remember in the 80's in New Jersey, they had a $1 Pick 6 that my father used to win all the time, and you had to get 4 out of your 6 numbers in order to win a prize! Back then it was 6/39 and parimutuel. He would wait for my little sisters to come home from school and ask them what numbers he should play. He had the wall next to the kitchen table littered with winning tickets (apparently, they let him keep them after he cashed out). Most of them were less than $100, some $200-300 Pick 4s, and... [ More ]

Comment #26

Ron5995 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:16:53 GMT

Correct. A simple example is the recent PA Lottery raffle. $10 million worth of tickets offered with $5,089,200 allocated in prizes; ~51% payback, which is typical of most lottery numbers games.

However, payback percentage alone isn't the end all be all, if much of the prize pool is allocated to very difficult to win top prizes. This is how some casinos can offer games, typically slots, near or even exceeding 100% payback and still make money. Few players have enough time nor big enough bankr... [ More ]

Comment #25

ckrakowski — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:13:34 GMT

Yea sure this is the reason and how states run the lottery has nothing to do with it.

Comment #24

JADELottery — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:52:32 GMT

Yeah, Jackpots are nothing more than an attractive nuisance.

You win more often with less numbers.

Comment #23

haymaker — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:26:18 GMT

State tax does not help since I play based on the after tax amount, not what is advertised.

Another thing is states keeping unclaimed prizes...should be rolled into other JPs

Comment #22

Coin Toss — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:22:49 GMT

Recent lottery scandals, Tipton's and others shenanigans and such don't help.

Comment #21

Redd55 — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:13:28 GMT

It's nice to see everyone come together and be angry at the same things.

BURN IT DOWN

Comment #20

grwurston — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:47:50 GMT

Here is what Michigan is. From the LP state lottery report card.

Michigan (64% true lottery drawings)

True Drawings: Daily 3 Evening, Daily 3 Midday, Daily 4 Evening, Daily 4 Midday, Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, Powerball

Computerized: Classic Lotto 47, Fantasy 5, Keno, Poker Lotto

Comment #19

Bleudog101 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:37:21 GMT

Can't remember the Michigan lottery game that the guy told me @ the MI lottery that it was a ball drawing and two members said it was RNG. They never quite answered me email question, wanting me to call AGAIN. i figured it was as LP members said RNG. Screw them I say and to heck with RNG.

Comment #18

Dead_Aim — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 23:06:26 GMT

lol, and don't even get me started with the RNG (computer) drawings. My fingers would fall off from writing a book on how many ways that is such a BAD thing.

Comment #17

Illinoisdreamer — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 22:26:16 GMT

I am one of the few that I have seen actually playing regular pick 6 lotto game here in Illinois in my area

In past people have commented No one wins that and complain about what is often an endless amount of rollovers

With odds of 1:20,358,520 to win jackpot that tends to happen often and can make people play less or give up on game

Personally think Illinois should drop matrix back to former 6/48 instead of current 6/52. 6/48 matrix odds for jackpot would be 1:12,271,512

Comment #16

rca1952 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 22:19:53 GMT

All of this lack of interest from the people comes from the fact that most does not care for the RNG way of calling the numbers!!! If they the states were to bring back the balls and the drawings were to be on T.V. once again, I could see where revenue would be up, it the lack of trust most have with the state

Comment #15

eddessaknight — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 22:08:45 GMT

Also US lotteries could, instead of one major Olympic JP @ 10Mil, offer10 chances of 1 Million each- spread it around like fertilizer and see participation grow hence the TX sales zoom - it's proving very popular in Europe.

Lotteries, take a chance-

Eddessa_Knight wit Lucky Light for Lots

Comment #14

Dead_Aim — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:36:13 GMT

lower tier payouts are trash...

example: I have gotten 4/5 in Show me cash 3 or 4 times over my years of playing. And while the top tier is multi-thousands of dollars. the best I can get is $250 bucks for 4/5? Really? I mean the last 1 I missed was 400,000.00 and I got $250 bucks?

Even got 5/6 once in a game where the 6/6 was 2.1 million at the time. so what do you think my take would be for 5/6? I didn't even break a thousand bucks. So I went from 2.1 MILLION dollars to less than a 1000?.... [ More ]

Comment #13

GiveFive — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:25:54 GMT

Last Saturday, The Pennsylvania Lottery conducted it's twice per year Millionaire Raffle . The PA Lottery has been holding this raffle since 2004. This time, the raffle was enhanced with 9 Early Bird drawings which was an effort to entice players to buy tickets early in the sales cycle. By purchasing a ticket during the any given week of sales, all tickets sold during that particular week were entered into a special drawing where one ticket number was drawn, and if you had it, you won $100,000,... [ More ]

Comment #12

JADELottery — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:09:52 GMT

For us it's the lack luster lower tier payouts.

The payouts don't reflect the odds (probability of win).

This is in addition to devaluing the hard earned dollar and crippling a player's purchasing power by jacking the price of a play to $2.00; $3.00 if you play the multiplier.

Nope, we're playing some our last Mega Millions till Oct 31; then there's a ghost of a chance they'll get our money again.

Maybe when it's at $3 Billion we might consider.

Comment #11

GiveFive — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:57:48 GMT

Ron,

Please pardon my ignorance, but it's not completely clear to me what you mean when you say payback.

To my mind, payback means the amount of money any state lottery would return to players via winnings. So if any given game pays back 40%, then out of a pool of $100,000 wagered by players, the state would keep $60,000, and return to players $40,000 via winning tickets. Maybe I'm correct, but my gut is telling me that's overly simplistic. Thanks! G5

Comment #10

konane — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:56:11 GMT

That along with a higher matrix to drive prizes higher have created substantial jackpot fatigue. State coffers are demanding more money which as stated above lowers % prize pool creating less incentive to play in the first place.. States legislators need to realize to get the population to spend more they increase lower end payouts.

Comment #9

cap370 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:38:27 GMT

Good because if they spread the love and actually let many

win instead of just one or two people like they always do then you'd

have a line out the door waiting to buy tickets.

Comment #8

Redd55 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:08:25 GMT

Yep, besides people rarely winning the large state jackpot, my biggest gripe is that even the smaller prizes are rare and chintzy.

Comment #7

Redd55 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:06:08 GMT

People rarely win my state lottery -- 1-2 a year and the lower prizes are an embarrassment. It didnt use to be that way, so of course they are going to lose money. The second chance promo was good initially but they managed to ruin that, too.

Comment #6

applepimp — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 18:07:39 GMT

The lotteries Have gotten more greedy over the years with the addition of extreme stratch off prices.These games are being pursued by people of low poverty to the fading middle class. Being a player of pick 4 pick 3 games, I have constantly listened to fellow players complain about how difficult it is to win in the lotteries drawings. If an individual does'nt win from time to time they simply give up playing regularly or quit all together. remember the rich dont generally play.They dont need the... [ More ]

Comment #5

winsumloosesum — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 17:42:23 GMT

I agree. And maybe people don't trust lotteries anymore. RNG draws don't help either.

Comment #4

Ron5995 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 17:08:16 GMT

Lotteries, by and large, rely on most players being near totally ignorant of the odds of the games being offered combined with horrible payback low as 40%. For a long time the strategy has worked due in large part to the novelty of games offering higher and higher jackpots at a nominal cost. $1 for a dream.

However, that model is waning as the jackpot amounts no longer generate much excitement. $10 million annuity was once a big deal (yes really, way back), then later over $100 million (long

Comment #3

MillionsWanted — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:34:34 GMT

Jackpot-fatigue is the punishment of the lottery companies for creating too-hard-to-win lotteries.

Comment #2

Wentworth — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:27:48 GMT

yes i agree they keep upping the price and the odds 300 million to one or so is impossible to win to begin with,iits only fun to buy a ticket when the jackpot is high

its still my opinion all these games are rigged even though they dont have to be...or do they

Comment #1

Bleudog101 — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:11:51 GMT

I believe the big lotteries cut off their nose to spite their face. PB raised the price and if memory serves me allegedly made it easier to win. Now MM will follow suit in October raising the cost of a ticket 100%. It doesn't help with negative press about states not paying on this voluntary tax winnings due to state budget woes.

State lotteries losing revenue to 'jackpot fatigue' and casinos

Lottery Post — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:02:40 GMT

The biggest loser in the lottery game? Increasingly, it's the states that rely on lottery revenue, as fewer people are buying tickets of chance.

In 22 of the 44 states with lotteries, revenue declined between 2014 and 2015, the most recent year for comprehensive data, the Pew Charitable Trusts reported Thursday. Twenty-one states experienced declines from 2013 to 2014.

In 2016, lottery revenue fell 3.3% in Missouri, more recent data shows, while it fell 3.2% in Rhode Island and 2.6% in Wes... [ More ]