United States
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September 17, 2003
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Grow a spine and raise the price of the ticket to $2.
Eventually it will be your only real option since raising the odds are a loosing game after a while. Jackpots were low in the Canadian 6/49 rarely reaching $12 million and sales were low and stagnant. They raised the price to $2 from $1. Many complained and whined. Now jackpots routinely break $20 million in cash and sales are fine. Euromillions started with a 2 euro ticket and holds the world record for highest cash prize with odds 100 million less than Mega's.
Eventually one of the big games is going to realise that the $1 per ticket price set in the 80's just isn't enough. This isn't the 80's and Reagan isn't president. Also I'm no longer a teenager. Things change. Prices for most scratch tickets are higher than $1 and the prizes from a larger ticket price could be far greater than yet another matrix change.
Personally I hope the people running Mega read this and can act during the lame duck session to pass it. Mega already has a poor jackpot performance and the next matrix change would put the odds at or over 1:200 million. Instead grow some and change the price. They could even afford to lower the odds a little to make it more palitable.
United States
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June 2, 2005
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dvidva, I think MM should increase the ticket price to $2 and increase the odds of winning jackpot from 176 million to 1 to about the odds of the current PB.
United States
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June 5, 2002
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Quote: Originally posted by dvdiva on Oct 3, 2006
Grow a spine and raise the price of the ticket to $2.
Eventually it will be your only real option since raising the odds are a loosing game after a while. Jackpots were low in the Canadian 6/49 rarely reaching $12 million and sales were low and stagnant. They raised the price to $2 from $1. Many complained and whined. Now jackpots routinely break $20 million in cash and sales are fine. Euromillions started with a 2 euro ticket and holds the world record for highest cash prize with odds 100 million less than Mega's.
Eventually one of the big games is going to realise that the $1 per ticket price set in the 80's just isn't enough. This isn't the 80's and Reagan isn't president. Also I'm no longer a teenager. Things change. Prices for most scratch tickets are higher than $1 and the prizes from a larger ticket price could be far greater than yet another matrix change.
Personally I hope the people running Mega read this and can act during the lame duck session to pass it. Mega already has a poor jackpot performance and the next matrix change would put the odds at or over 1:200 million. Instead grow some and change the price. They could even afford to lower the odds a little to make it more palitable.
I've suggested that MUSL experiment with a $2 game by doubling the price of a Hot Lotto ticket. As many of you know, HL is a mini-version of PB, available by just 9 lotteries (10 next month).
United States
Member #41,382
June 16, 2006
1,969 Posts
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Quote: Originally posted by dvdiva on Oct 3, 2006
Grow a spine and raise the price of the ticket to $2.
Eventually it will be your only real option since raising the odds are a loosing game after a while. Jackpots were low in the Canadian 6/49 rarely reaching $12 million and sales were low and stagnant. They raised the price to $2 from $1. Many complained and whined. Now jackpots routinely break $20 million in cash and sales are fine. Euromillions started with a 2 euro ticket and holds the world record for highest cash prize with odds 100 million less than Mega's.
Eventually one of the big games is going to realise that the $1 per ticket price set in the 80's just isn't enough. This isn't the 80's and Reagan isn't president. Also I'm no longer a teenager. Things change. Prices for most scratch tickets are higher than $1 and the prizes from a larger ticket price could be far greater than yet another matrix change.
Personally I hope the people running Mega read this and can act during the lame duck session to pass it. Mega already has a poor jackpot performance and the next matrix change would put the odds at or over 1:200 million. Instead grow some and change the price. They could even afford to lower the odds a little to make it more palitable.
BAD idea IMO. (for PB)
MOST sales are to people that just want a QP - and they don't mind throwing a single dollar at something like the lottery.
Now, I said 'most people', those of us here buy more than one ticket, and there is a method to our madness, but the fact is, most tickets sold number less than 5 per person. You put $22 of gas in your car, you probably throw away a buck or two in change to a ticket or two.
Pack of smokes for $3.90 - throw them a $5 and splurge the dollar coming back on a ticket.
Same with a 6-pack or 12-pack.
Disposable income is $1. You go more than that and it isn't so disposable to a lot of people.
I guess I just don't see the 'problem' with today's game (PB)
You want to win more ? Well, first you have to win, second, play the multiplier.
Mcminnville, Oregon United States
Member #3,013
December 13, 2003
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If I am going to shell out $2 for one line and then $2 for a powerplay the prizes better get alot better before I put $20 in Powerballs pocket each drawing for the chance at their jackpot. All of the prize levels should double if you are going to spend more money. I do not think it will happen.-weshar75
mid-Ohio United States
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March 24, 2001
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Both groups in the past have had surveys for players to express their feelings about spending more money for a ticket and they have alway decided to keep it at a dollar. As a system player I prefer to buy more tickets and improve my chances of winning when I spend more money. With PowerBall and MegaMillions in Texas, players can chose to pay $2 for their tickets and at least double their winnings if and when they win one of the lower tier prizes.
Most losers alway feel they spent too much and if those losers stop buying tickets that will be the end of those big jackpots for the winners.
* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
New Jersey United States
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September 4, 2005
963 Posts
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If the idea is to get bigger jackpots, I don't think it will work at all. It will effectively reduce the expectation value of the game and make more players frustrated. Most players don't think about the expectation value, but they do know that they are continually losing and making the situation worse will probably lead people away from the game.
In any case, the sales value of giant jackpots is not what it used to be. People are getting jaded.
There was a time that $15M was thought of as a huge pot. Now $150M doesn't seem enough.
My guess is that a $2 ticket will make giant jackpots less likely, not more likely.
United States
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June 16, 2006
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Quote: Originally posted by Prob988 on Oct 4, 2006
If the idea is to get bigger jackpots, I don't think it will work at all. It will effectively reduce the expectation value of the game and make more players frustrated. Most players don't think about the expectation value, but they do know that they are continually losing and making the situation worse will probably lead people away from the game.
In any case, the sales value of giant jackpots is not what it used to be. People are getting jaded.
There was a time that $15M was thought of as a huge pot. Now $150M doesn't seem enough.
My guess is that a $2 ticket will make giant jackpots less likely, not more likely.
Yeah, I get a kick out of the 'I only play when it gets big' folks myself.
The way I see it, 15 million is 15 million more than I have now, and 150 million is 150 million more than I have now.
If I choose not to play, or skip a game or two, it's not because of the payout, it's because something doesn't make sense to me, like the
odds of it hitting 4 in a row.
It doesn't take much to win the lottery - all you have to do is guess the right numbers.
United States
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June 2, 2005
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On second thought, I think MM and PB should keep the odds where it is or increase the odds against winning a jackpot. I think they should keep it at $1 (except $2 for PP).
United States
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June 16, 2006
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Quote: Originally posted by Just6ntlc on Oct 4, 2006
On second thought, I think MM and PB should keep the odds where it is or increase the odds against winning a jackpot. I think they should keep it at $1 (except $2 for PP).
And one day we will look back, remembering when 1 in 146 million were GOOD odds........
Morrison, IL United States
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May 13, 2004
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Unfortunately, I think one day Powerball and Mega Millions tickets will be $2. If that happens, I will quit playing Mega Millions and play only Powerball again (I currently play both). Also, I do agree that a $2 ticket price may actually slow jackpot growth, since it may cut ticket sales by more than 1/2. Many players that buy only one ticket will not play as much or not play at all anymore, while the "system" players who regularly buy many tickets will probably only buy half as much. The jackpots will have a better chance at rolling over, however, but they'll have to survive more consecutive draws to get players coming out of the woodwork to buy tickets.
United States
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September 17, 2003
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Eventually they will have to be $2 because of inflation. When most lotteries decided to set the price of a ticket at $1 in the 80's a nice house was around $250k in the Seattle area. Now the same house would have a million in front of it.
I think Mega could more easily make the change especially with a lowering of the odds.
I don't think players are coming out of anywhere now to get tickets since sales in Mega is realitively stable until it breaks 60-75 million. Also when Canada's 6/49 game switched there was an initial decline. This was largely forgotten once 6/49 hit a record jackpot the same year as the switch. Sales now are better than before the switch. I'm sure some people don't play but the odds weren't changed. Mega with odds pushing close to 200 million to one (likely in the next matrix change) isn't much of a deal either.
$2 tickets have help Canada's game hit record highs I'm sure it can help south of the border as well.