Small Jackpots vs Big Jackpots

Reply #34

markp1950 — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:10:51 GMT

It's more like Small jackpots AND big jackpots

I'm focusing on Wis Megabucks right now @ 1,200,000 after taxes..

BUT I just can't ignore 73,000,000 after taxes on Meg Millions so I will play PB much lighter...

Reply #33

Uff Da! — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:30:04 GMT

Since playing a game like MM or PB usually amounts to throwing my money away, I reached the conclusion that I'd rather throw it at the chance of winning a larger amount than at a smaller one. So I usually don't play at all until the jackpot hits $50 million cash, but then often play $5. Sometimes I don't play even then, if I don't happen to be going near a store that sells the tickets.

I'm willing to spend about $300 a year out of pocket on lottery tickets, so the number of tickets I buy and... [ More ]

Reply #32

ttech10 — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:33:14 GMT

I play whenever, though occasionally I'll throw in more for bigger payouts.

With the amount after taxes on either the PB or MM I can still enjoy myself and live out a full life with the winnings, even if it's the $12 million PB jackpot. I wouldn't be able to do the things I could with something like $50 million but I would still have a very nice life and wouldn't have to worry about working.

Reply #31

BaristaExpress — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:50:31 GMT

And FYI The Canadians equivalent to the IRS does share tax information with the United States Internal Revenue Service! That way Canadian citizens can't hide any money here in the US without being found out by their own taxing body of the Canadian Government!

And the Canadian Government will forward the tax money that is due on to the US IRS before you getting paid!

It's called the United States-Canada Income Tax Treaty

Reply #30

Coin Toss — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:21:09 GMT

If an American hits the Canadian lottery Uncle Sam will still have his hand out.

It's happened already.

Reply #29

rdgrnr — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 05:43:12 GMT

One PP and one QP on JP games no matter the JP amount.

I'll use the winnings to fortify the compound in case ambelamba attacks.

Reply #28

Hot Sauce — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:31:39 GMT

I put $5 in every MM drawing. I'm just hoping for a 5+0 win, which is usually in the six figures and would be enough for me. I also play Fantasy 5 when the jackpot goes six-figures. Unfortunately (for me) there have been like 10 winners in a row so the jackpot keeps resetting

Reply #27

ambelamba — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:44:51 GMT

I just need enough to buy a house in San Gabriel Valley area (which usually costs 7 figure, at least) and a financial safety nest. 20~30mil will be sweet. But I will still look for works as a concept artist for games,films and animation.

Reply #26

megamanX — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:19:28 GMT

The Canadian 6/49 lotto is starting to look really good. 30 million canadian dollars with odds of 1 in 14 million for one ticket. Another great thing about the Canadian lotto is the advertized jackpot is exactly what you get, it's the lump sum with taxes already paid. Not like the lottos in the US where the advertized jackpot is the annuity. If I was in Canada or close to the border, I'd play this for sure. The online butler service is really steep, so I'll wait until the jackpot is bigger.... [ More ]

Reply #25

joshuacloak — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:58:25 GMT

will bobp i get your point, however the size does matter for me,

on what would i do scale wise with the money, so that effects how much i really desire to play even more

a small pb/mm jackpot with a atfer tax's cash total of say ...... take the current pb jackpot,,,, that would force me to invest near all of it, got to make sure am set for life

,atfer 35% max fed rate on current cash pb jackpot, , thats only just above 20m cash as of pb draw for 9th, i would Be forced to upwards in... [ More ]

Reply #24

BobP — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:42:52 GMT

I've never seen value in allowing the size of the jackpot to determine how I play lotto.

Of course that's what the lottery would like you to do.

BobP

Reply #23

Guru101 — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:07:09 GMT

I'll play anytime.

Reply #22

megamanX — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:01:15 GMT

if I won the Ohio Classic Lotto, I'd collect the money and then take my talents to south beach

Reply #21

markp1950 — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:06:33 GMT

Yes, if I lived in Ohio, I definately would focus on that that one.

It moved up to 21,200,000. Cash option about 10,600,000, about $6 million after taxes.

Old wisconsin Lotto is 1.5 mil cash, about $860,000 after taxes. Nice but not huge.

Minimum jackpot that I play for now is about $100,000 (with odds to match).....

I try to stay away from the excessive odds. But do respect huge amounts.

There is almost 1 jackpot that offers a better that average jackpot.

I do play the one tha... [ More ]

Reply #20

Genome — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:59:59 GMT

I like big jackpots like anyone else, but lately I been playing games with smaller jackpots and odds. In Massachusetts we have Megabucks Doubler and Cash Winfall and i've been playing those more recently. Megabucks is at $3,000,000 right now with 1 in 14 million odds. I'd take the annuity which is for 20 years. Cash Winfall is at $1,175,000 with odds of 1 in 9 million and the payout is cash. I'd be eating real good with winning any of those.

Reply #19

savagegoose — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:55:37 GMT

ill take any win i can get ,but when i win a few $ i still complain it aint enough

Reply #18

megamanX — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:58:31 GMT

one or two bucks with a small jackpot and $15 plus for any jackpot over 100 mil

Reply #17

Jon D — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:05:03 GMT

I put doesn't matter, but that's not really the case because it depends:

I just have token entries on Mega Millions, SuperLotto and Fantasy5 normally. But I tend to pile on more entries when Mega Millions is over $100,000,000 or Superlotto is over $25,000,000 or Fantasy5 is over $200,000. The odds are the same, and maybe you could actually win less because or more betters and the pari-mutuel system. But then again, if you hit...at least that is the dream.

Reply #16

sully16 — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:35:07 GMT

I just want enough to retire, maybe start a small business, cause I 'm sick of the job I got.

Reply #15

C0w Pi3 — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:11:59 GMT

Doesn't matter, Ideally I would love to win 100's of millions but in all honesty any jackpot win is HUGE seeing as you defied the odds and won.

Reply #14

jaggudada — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 02:17:25 GMT

If odds of winning is any less, I will take just couple of millions over tens of millions. I think winning just couple of million is better than tens of millions as that would still keep you down to earth and still live financially worry free life. If you invest 2 millions properly, it will provide you enough regular revenue to lead a very comfortable life. You can travel the world and don't have to go to work if you hate the place or the boss. Winning couple of millions will still keep you grou... [ More ]

Reply #13

dallascowboyfan — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:32:47 GMT

It dosen't matter to me I would take any size Jackpot.......

Reply #12

weshar75 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:12:42 GMT

I like to play all the jackpots that I have money to play for. So it does not matter to me the size but I only play Powerball and mega millions now. I want to be able to let my mother retire and help my sister and brother-in-law. Good luck to me tonight.-weshar75

Reply #11

Coin Toss — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:04:59 GMT

One of the cleverest things I've read here on LP was when someone (I'm sorry I don't remember who) posted that ideally you would win a PB or MM jackpot when it was back to its start point after someone else had hit for hudreds of millions.

The attention would still be on them.

Reply #10

rukiafae — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:03:38 GMT

i play each drawing (MM/PB) and buy the same number of tiks each time.

Reply #9

BaristaExpress — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:35:19 GMT

I play when the Jackpot is 200 million (100 million Cash +/-) MM or PB.

Reply #8

iGlenn — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:50:44 GMT

Very true. But I can't count the number of regulars at my local store that drop $5+/day on pick 3/4 and other low jackpot games. They are the ones I'm referring to. Those always seem to be the ones that can least afford it too.

Reply #7

hearsetrax — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:50:49 GMT

Reply #6

RJOh — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:49:24 GMT

It depends on the odds of the game and its jackpot size. Now that MegaMillions with odds of 1:175M has a $12M jackpot and PowerBall with odds of 1:195M and a $35.0M jackpot, Ohio Classic Lotto with odds of 1:14M and a jackpot of $20.7M is looking good to me.

Reply #5

RJOh — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:46:42 GMT

True, but you'll have to spend more than a couple of dollars a week.

Reply #4

iGlenn — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:19:55 GMT

Over a lifetime you have better odds of making $2 million by investing in mutual funds/stock market than winning it in the lottery.

Reply #3

ameriken — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:07:37 GMT

I clicked the $1-2 million, though my playing is not limited to that nor does that mean I don't like either the higher or smaller prizes. But the long and short of it is that it is a life changing event if I can stuff a million in my pocket, and the odds of winning a million are far better than the odds of winning $200 million. I'll play more money toward the lower jackpots such a $2 million.

Reply #2

iGlenn — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:43:22 GMT

The bigger the better which is why I picked over $200 million. I generally only play PB/MM and I play to retire! Winning a few hundred thousand or even a million just isn't sexy enough for me.

Reply #1

sully16 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:41:37 GMT

It doesn't matter what the jackpot size is, life would be easier with a nice chunk of change.

Small Jackpots vs Big Jackpots

NoShame — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:16:35 GMT

Which is the best time to play the lottery for you and why? Are the odds greater for you if the jackpot is higher or lower? Do you prefer playing for smaller jackpots to avoid publicity? Do you only play when the jackpot is huge? How often do you play your preffer jackpot and how many tickets would you buy? Share your thoughts here.