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• bks2

  

  IL
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  May 10, 2005
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  May 26, 2005, 2:07 pm

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  With the odds of both games getting close to 170 million to one, who in thier right mind is going to put money on the games when the jackpots are under 50 million. I guess some people don't care about the odds compared to jackpot chances. Some people might play for second tier prizes, but if your going to do that you might was well play pick 5 games where your odds are better and most of the time you'd get more money. I personally won't play more than 2 dollars till the jackpot gets over 150 million with those odds. I liked the biggame when the odds were 75 million to one you could get big jackpots ever once in a while, and still feel like you had a chance to win. I'd rather have more 30 million winners than a few 300 million winners.
• Todd

  

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  Chief Bottle Washer

  New Jersey
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  May 31, 2000
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  May 26, 2005, 3:09 pm

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  I agree with what you're saying.

  The problems comes from the fact that the states have come to rely so heavily upon steadily increasing lottery revenue every year.  Blame it on the state legislatures.  So the lottery directors have to keep coming up with ways to continue increasing profits.

  The states have found that they make a large proportion of their revenue a couple times a year, when the jackpot in their big multi-state lotto game gets to the point that it gets the people who don't normally play to buy tickets.  So, by making sure that they have at least a couple of those types of jackpots every year, they can ensure their revenue targets are met.

  That's the reality of what you're up against.

  That's one of the main reasons I think every state should have a classic Pick 6 lotto-style game — so that people will still get a chance to play a game with halfway decent odds of winning a multi-million dollar prize, even though the odds in the multi-state games have gone to the point where one person out of 50 million players wins every couple of months.

   

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• ryanm

  

  Morrison, IL
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  May 13, 2004
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  May 27, 2005, 1:01 am

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    Unfortunately, most of the Powerball state lotteries cannot afford to set up their own pick 6 game, and that's what Powerball's predecessor, LottoAmerica, began as.  Unfortunately, their idea worked too well, and we've wound up with astronomical odds in the Powerball and Mega Millions games as results.
• Todd

  

  50

  Chief Bottle Washer

  New Jersey
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  May 31, 2000
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  May 27, 2005, 1:54 am

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  I would say that it can be done by any state, and Lotto South is a good example of that.  Smart state lottery directors from small states team up with other small states to jointly get what they want.

   

  Check the State Lottery Report Card
  What grade did your lottery earn?

   

  Sign the Petition for True Lottery Drawings
  Help eliminate computerized drawings!
• LOTTOMIKE

  

  Tennessee
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  October 15, 2004
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  May 27, 2005, 2:15 am

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  thats one of the reasons i want lotto south in tennessee,i'd play it over powerball because i know i got a good shot,5 million or 100 million its the same to me.i'm not picky about millions....
• Tnplayer805

  

  North Dakota
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  April 5, 2005
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  May 27, 2005, 2:26 am

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  Lottomike I'm up for either lotto south or Lotto TN.  Just gotta wait and see what the Lotto does next. 

  How are you going to win if you don't play?
• NewClub

  

  United States
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  March 15, 2005
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  May 27, 2005, 9:25 am

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  Quote: Originally posted by bks2 on May 26, 2005
  
  

  
  

  With the odds of both games getting close to 170 million to one, who in thier right mind is going to put money on the games when the jackpots are under 50 million. I guess some people don't care about the odds compared to jackpot chances. Some people might play for second tier prizes, but if your going to do that you might was well play pick 5 games where your odds are better and most of the time you'd get more money. I personally won't play more than 2 dollars till the jackpot gets over 150 million with those odds. I liked the biggame when the odds were 75 million to one you could get big jackpots ever once in a while, and still feel like you had a chance to win. I'd rather have more 30 million winners than a few 300 million winners.

  
  

  
  

  I agree with you.

  But that also created a chance for a lottery pool, in which you will be able to decrease the cost of tickets to as low as one cent a ticket per person, and not care about spliting price with a hundred people since there are still enough prize money for each after split.

  Playing one cent for a million will be fun, don't you think? :)

   

   
• Deadsantaclaus

  

  FLORIDA
  United States
  Member #5,364
  July 1, 2004
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  May 27, 2005, 2:53 pm

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  Quote: Originally posted by bks2 on May 26, 2005
  
  

  
  

  With the odds of both games getting close to 170 million to one, who in thier right mind is going to put money on the games when the jackpots are under 50 million. I guess some people don't care about the odds compared to jackpot chances. Some people might play for second tier prizes, but if your going to do that you might was well play pick 5 games where your odds are better and most of the time you'd get more money. I personally won't play more than 2 dollars till the jackpot gets over 150 million with those odds. I liked the biggame when the odds were 75 million to one you could get big jackpots ever once in a while, and still feel like you had a chance to win. I'd rather have more 30 million winners than a few 300 million winners.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  It currently takes approximately a run of 11 draws to get to $100,000,000.00 for both games without any wins. One of the things I’m curious about with both games new odds is will it take longer to get to the $100M level of the games? I live in Florida so that is the minimum level for us to take a road trip. It’s been my unscientific observation that both P.B. and MEGA don’t seem to attract extreme attention until that level.

  
  
  

  I realize that both games are increasing the starting amounts after a jackpot win but I’m curious will some of you folks maybe play a smaller amount each draw under the $100M level? If so it would it be possible that it’s going to actually take longer to get to a level to stoke the fires of those of us that don’t usually play the big-2 games? I’m not just talking about the distance factor in my case. I’m also talking about the folks that follow the “I don’t usually play lotteries but I’ll play for $100,000,000.00” type person.

  
  
  

  Of course the alleged higher jackpots with the odds changes are great! I’m wondering will there be a trade off in the time it takes to create major jackpots per year because of the higher odds that maybe weren’t seen or considered? Maybe there will be smaller amounts taken in per drawing pre $100M than before the matrix change? Of course this glitch may or may not be compensated for in post $100M drawings that truly do reach $500M we shall see.

  
  
  

  Anyone had a similar thought in regards to the matrix changes coming up?