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JAG331

Greenwich, CT
United States
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May 24, 2004
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Feb 7, 2006, 3:56 pm

Still spending $1 or $2 a couple times a month on the expanded Powerball and Mega games.
The games can only expand so much...if the odds get too great, it will take too long to build up a respectable (nowadays $300m+) jackpot, causing everyone to lose interest in the game.
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
United States
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March 24, 2001
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Feb 7, 2006, 4:32 pm

If the odds of winning the PowerBall or MegaMillions jackpots ever become too large to attract the average lottery players, the people running these games will know by the reduced sales and they will adjust or go out of business. If that happens another game will replace them.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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Feb 7, 2006, 5:27 pm

Certain rules of business apply to any business.
Competition always benefits the consumer, just something for the lotto people to think about.
One thing I can think of wopuld be to let people know when all the top prizes on a given scratcher have been paid out (besides just finding that out on the internet).
Another would be mandatory press releases for any matrix expansion- MegaMillions fed articles to the media about California joininh in and possible $500,000,000 jackpots - but it wasn't until people saw the new play slips that they realized the matrix increased. (At least some people did).
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
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March 24, 2001
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Feb 7, 2006, 6:16 pm

Knowledge about a matrix change is always available before the drawings because play slips have to be printed long before ticket sales can start. Clerks at retailers may not know and don't really care because selling lottery tickets is only part of their job. If you want that kind of information you have to go to the lottery website. The last time Ohio had a promotion giving out a free QP when $5 worth of tickets were bought, the clerk thought the extra ticket was hers to keep until I informed her that it was a promotional ticket for the players (ME).

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
Badger

Wisconsin
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March 27, 2003
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Feb 7, 2006, 6:30 pm

I don't bet more than #1 on the PB now. Regardless of how high the odds, I'd probably still bet a buck. But that's about all it's worth. After all, each combination has the same odds against it. You can't lower your odds any better by getting 100 tickets and spending $100 than you get spending $1 and getting one ticket.

============

How can you tell if a politician is lying?

Answer: His lips are moving.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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Feb 7, 2006, 7:47 pm

RJOh
Not everyone is on the web (believe it or not!) and althought the play slips were printed, they couldn't go into play until the first game, thus that's when a lot of people saw them for the first time. And many didn't notice a difference.
Badger
I agree with you totally, but unbelievably I've heard people say if the play all the Powerball numbers (bottom grid) they'll at least get paid something, and maybe more than $3!
Let's see, risking $42 for a "guaranteed" $3, what's wrong with this picutre?
That's the kind of players the lotteries love.
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
United States
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March 24, 2001
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Feb 7, 2006, 8:24 pm

As I said in my post, even some clerks selling lottery tickets aren't aware of lottery changes because they aren't interested, I assume players who are interested will go on the web or make a phone call to get the information.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
Chewie

Sparta, NJ
United States
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July 9, 2005
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Feb 7, 2006, 9:36 pm

Competition always benefits the consumer, just something for the lotto people to think about.
Don't let the cable companies in New Jersey hear you say that!! I doubt the telephone and electric companies in most states would accept that concept either.

|||::> *'`*:-.,_,.-:*''*:--->>> Chewie <<<---.*''*:-.,_,.-:*''* <:::|||

I only trust myself - and that's a questionable choice
time*treat

United States
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March 30, 2005
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Feb 8, 2006, 6:47 am

For me, part of the equation is the payout schedule. I'd rather go for the regular p5 & p6 games than the 5+1 games.

Remember, the lotteries target those who are bad at math. I suspect that when those predraws begin to detect more and more would-have-wons (you know someone, somewhere has seen their numbers in the predraw list) the matrix is increased.

In neo-conned Amerika, bank robs you.
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be the name of a convenience store, not a govnoment agency.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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Feb 8, 2006, 10:15 am

time*treat
Yeah, a lot of people don't realize that the 5 + 1 games are actually two lotteries in one.

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