New Mexico United States
Member #12,305
March 10, 2005
2,984 Posts
Offline
I don't share the enthusiasm of everyone else. Increasing the number field makes it that much MORE difficult to WIN.
Why do we let ourselves agree to stack the odds further against us for an increased prize amount when that sum of money is made that much more difficult to win?
Will someone please explain that to me?
I can understand you not sharing the enthusiasm for larger jackpots. I don't have any enthusiasm for them, either. On the other hand, I don't believe either of us knows whether it actually makes it more difficult to win. Nor does anyone else on the DB. There's statistical cause to believe it increases the odds, which is about all that's out there in the mainstream thoughtlines on such things, but we've become actuarialists in our thinking, mostly.
I'd say one view is about as good as another on this, yours, mine, anyone elses. Which doesn't answer your question. You want to know why others than yourself are enthusiastic about something you aren't. Who knows? Who cares?
They're enthusiastic because they think they'll enjoy winning a billion more than they'll enjoy winning a hundred million. Most everyone thinks they'll win, by luck, by the grace of God, by study and meditation, by hook or by crook. If you don't think you will you might want to ask yourself why you're spending money on a ticket, or a lot of tickets.
So that only leaves, why get more excited about a billion bucks than you are about 20 million. I don't have a clue. Probably they don't either.
This nation and the people in it have a profound negative net worth by almost any measure. Most of the citizenry have never seen $10K free and clear. Maybe they have secret fantasies about buying some third world country full of half-starved people who would be impressed with a win big enough to buy a bicycle.
Not much point in worrying why other people get excited about something you don't get excited about. Most of us have enough difficulty examining what we're excited about, ourselves, and why.
New Mexico United States
Member #12,305
March 10, 2005
2,984 Posts
Offline
I don't share the enthusiasm of everyone else. Increasing the number field makes it that much MORE difficult to WIN.
Why do we let ourselves agree to stack the odds further against us for an increased prize amount when that sum of money is made that much more difficult to win?
Will someone please explain that to me?
Somewhere there's a room full of MBAs and accountants wearing ties who worried whether you'd be enthused about it and about how many other shared your view. They consulted the room full of psychologists and marketing folks, who assured them you'd buy anyway, enthusiasm or not, and that people other than those who think as you do would actually buy more tickets than they buy now. Lots more.
The MBAs and accountants all went back to their cubicles and calculated the whole thing, decided they could each make more money each year if they bet you'd continue to buy and that others would buy more.
I've known a lot of people who got enthusiastic about snorting $100 bills up their noses, injecting them into their veins, hanging around bars, hanging around Arthur Murray Dance Studios, hanging around churches. Enthusiasm is one of those things nobody's going to understand unless they have it.
Portland United States
Member #7,262
September 27, 2004
111 Posts
Offline
I think $500,000, 000 jackpot will occur someday! ..hmmm, I can not imagine if the jackpot is $500,000,000 and I won that alone! It's so scary and I feel unsecure about that...I can't handle thousands of eyes looking at me. SOOO, I just hope to win around $100.000.000 to $200.000.000 max!!! hehehe
United States
Member #2,399
September 28, 2003
143 Posts
Offline
That's what MM promised us before, but it ended up changing the matrix. Hopefully now it will finally reach. If it doesn't then we will have to wait another five years.
United States
Member #2,338
September 17, 2003
2,063 Posts
Offline
Megamillions only said the jackpot could hit 400 million after WA state joined. They just forgot to add "when hell freezes over" to the sentence. The Big Game (the game before Mega) was close to 400 with much lower odds but it had a much smaller player base. Powerball made the serious mistake of not changing their game when they added many states and now the jackpots and the sales have tanked. I'm sure some players will lessen what they buy for a while and sales have proven that but when a big jackpot finally happens then the marketing alone will drive more sales.
Greenwich, CT United States
Member #4,793
May 24, 2004
1,822 Posts
Offline
Megamillions only said the jackpot could hit 400 million after WA state joined. They just forgot to add "when hell freezes over" to the sentence. The Big Game (the game before Mega) was close to 400 with much lower odds but it had a much smaller player base. Powerball made the serious mistake of not changing their game when they added many states and now the jackpots and the sales have tanked. I'm sure some players will lessen what they buy for a while and sales have proven that but when a big jackpot finally happens then the marketing alone will drive more sales.
The $363 million was a fluke with the Big Game matrix.
It's like when CA SL+ hit $193m...or if this MM matrix hits $700 million.