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Would you travel to another State to play lottery if the odds are better?

Yes

[ 10 ]

[ 41.7% ]

[ 7 ]

[ 29.2% ]

Maybe

[ 5 ]

[ 20.8% ]

Never

[ 1 ]

[ 4.2% ]

Are you crazy

[ 0 ]

[ 0.0% ]

Are you desperate

[ 1 ]

[ 4.2% ]

Odds are the same everywhere

[ 0 ]

[ 0.0% ]

Total valid votes

[ 24 ]

Discarded votes

[ 0 ]

numbergirly

Dover, Delaware
United States
Member #26,978
November 25, 2005
178 Posts
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Feb 21, 2007, 12:42 am

I've considered it because, I live in an electronic State and (20) miles away is an old fashion State.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
Member #30,469
January 17, 2006
11,788 Posts
Online

Feb 21, 2007, 12:54 am

I voted maybe....distance should always be considered for these travel to another state to play questions.
Big difference between somebody in northern Florida, for example, saying they'd go to Georgia to play and asking someone in Miami if they'd go to Georgia to play.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
numbergirly

Dover, Delaware
United States
Member #26,978
November 25, 2005
178 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 12:59 am

Thank you Coin Toss for your reply you have reinforced my decision besides, it's a nice ride out at least once a week. Check out my predictions these numbers are due somewhere soon.
Thanks Again
numbergirly
Lucky Star

Georgia
United States
Member #38,039
April 23, 2006
2,629 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 1:00 am

I voted, Maybe.
20 miles away and the odds are MUCH better...Yes!!!

Peace. And, Good Luck!!!
guesser

United States
Member #41,382
June 16, 2006
1,969 Posts
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Feb 21, 2007, 1:06 am

Some folks are misguided on what 'better' odds are.
To ME, there is no difference between 1 in 146 million, and 1 in 73 million, even though the 'odds' are better with the 1 in 73 million....
You are either destined to hit it, or not.
numbergirly

Dover, Delaware
United States
Member #26,978
November 25, 2005
178 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 1:11 am

Hi Lucky Star... Thank you for your reply. I've done a little research and compared DE lottery to MD lottery for the past (2) years and the difference is amazing. I believe it's worth a (20) mile trip.
Thanks Again
numbergirly
numbergirly

Dover, Delaware
United States
Member #26,978
November 25, 2005
178 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 1:15 am

Hi guesser Thank you for your reply.... it's funny you would say that because, my husband feels the same way and most times I believe that also. What's meant for you nothing can stop it right?
Thanks Again
numbergirly
hobber

Rochester, NY
United States
Member #49,958
February 21, 2007
7 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 8:14 am

Quote: Originally posted by numbergirly on Feb 21, 2007
I've considered it because, I live in an electronic State and (20) miles away is an old fashion State.

I travel a lot sometimes and play the powerball in other states. In NY we have the mega of course.
CASH Only

United States
Member #379
June 5, 2002
11,296 Posts
Offline

Feb 21, 2007, 9:53 am

Quote: Originally posted by hobber on Feb 21, 2007
I travel a lot sometimes and play the powerball in other states. In NY we have the mega of course.

I prefer the Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey lotteries to NY's. However I enjoy the video poker in Monticello, Sullivan Co. I live closer to Yonkers though.
KY Floyd

NY
United States
Member #23,834
October 16, 2005
4,771 Posts
Offline

Feb 23, 2007, 11:18 am

Quote: Originally posted by numbergirly on Feb 21, 2007
I've considered it because, I live in an electronic State and (20) miles away is an old fashion State.

Are you suggesting that your odds are worse simply because the drawing is done electronically?
Guesser is right about people being misguided about what "better" odds are, but I think it's more than just "some" people. In the thread on jackpot fever a lot of people have been saying that the high odds against winning really hurt sales as compared to odds that are somewhat lower, but there are frequent references to driving to other states to buy tickets. A few people have even talked about driving as much as 3 or 4 hours away to buy tickets. I'll figure that the time doesn't matter, but if you make a trip just to buy tickets every mile you drive adds to the cost of your tickets, and the cost of the tickets is part of the odds.
Even if you drive an inexpensive car that gets good gas mileage it probably costs a minimum of 20 cents for every mile you drive, and that adds to the cost of your tickets. 20 miles isn't very far, but if the trip is only to buy tickets your 40 mile round trip adds $8 or more to what you've spent for the tickets. If you buy 8 tickets at a dollar each you've doubled the cost of each ticket, and compared to your other options that effectively doubles the odds against winning. I would guess that people who drive hours each way are buying a lot of tickets, but they may be raising the cost of their tickets to 3 or more times the selling price.
If you've got a game at home with "bad" odds of 175 million to 1 you can improve the odds to 87.5 million to 1 by spending $2 and getting two tickets. If you you drive somewhere else to play a game with odds of 100 million to 1 and end up spending $2 for each ticket your odds were better at home. As near as I can tell, for most people the extra driving may offer them long odds on a better jackpot, but it probably won't offer them better odds on any jackpot. I agree with guesser's claim that there is no real difference betwen odds of 1 in 150 million and 1 in 75 million. The odds are simply so high that the actual numbers dont really matter. Either you win or you don't, and you spend what you're comfortable with, whether it's all on tickets or some for tickets and some for wear and tear on your car.

FWIW, there's about one death for every 75 million passenger miles, so if you drive just a single mile to buy one PB ticket you're twice as likely to die driving that mile as you are to win PB. That risk is also a part of the cost of buying your tickets. If you drive 5 times as far to buy tickets for a game where the odds aren't at least 5 times better then you're increasing your chance of dying on the drive more than you're increasing your chances of winning. Just like the odds of winning a jackpot, I'll leave it to everyone to make their own decisions on how much sense it makes to play the game.
CCHS13

Illinois
United States
Member #46,703
September 23, 2006
3,692 Posts
Offline

Feb 23, 2007, 1:37 pm

Quote: Originally posted by CASH Only on Feb 21, 2007
I prefer the Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey lotteries to NY's. However I enjoy the video poker in Monticello, Sullivan Co. I live closer to Yonkers though.

Yonkers huh, home of the LOX. Among others

Men Lie Women Lie Numbers Dont
dumars798

Atlanta
United States
Member #28,655
December 20, 2005
5,675 Posts
Offline

Feb 26, 2007, 12:13 am

I would,you never know..might get
lucky n another state!

Smart bets...... Equal Phat Pocket$!
guesser

United States
Member #41,382
June 16, 2006
1,969 Posts
Offline

Mar 3, 2007, 2:41 pm

Quote: Originally posted by numbergirly on Feb 21, 2007
Hi Lucky Star... Thank you for your reply. I've done a little research and compared DE lottery to MD lottery for the past (2) years and the difference is amazing. I believe it's worth a (20) mile trip.
Thanks Again
numbergirly

You should enlighten us with the 'amazing differences'.
tnlotto1

nashville
United States
Member #49,894
February 18, 2007
1,181 Posts
Offline

Mar 3, 2007, 4:25 pm

i live in a powerball state and georgia and illinois are the closest megamillions states to me so i would have to drive over 100 miles to get megamillions tickets but of course if i won it would have been worth it.
justxploring

Wandering Aimlessly
United States
Member #25,359
November 5, 2005
4,461 Posts
Offline

Mar 3, 2007, 5:17 pm

Quote: Originally posted by guesser on Feb 21, 2007
Some folks are misguided on what 'better' odds are.
To ME, there is no difference between 1 in 146 million, and 1 in 73 million, even though the 'odds' are better with the 1 in 73 million....
You are either destined to hit it, or not.

I agree with this statement. Of course 1 in 146M isn't the same as 1 in 74M, but tome it's like saying "would you like to go to Pluto or Neptune today?"

I also agree with Coin Toss. When I lived in NH I was a few miles from the MA border and often played MA games. However, it really had nothing to do with the odds. I lived in MA most of my life and wanted to keep playing the same games. But it would be crazy for me to drive to GA or SC. Don't you think that if someone is going to spend more than $75 on gas/tolls to travel, it makes more sense to just buy 75 more tickets in your own town? Actually, I think $50 on more tickets, a nice meal out and a bottle of wine is even better!

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