Sure, there was a buzz Tuesday. Sure, people dreamed. Sure, people blacked out their favorite numbers — birthdays and anniversaries — hoping for luck to strike.
The chance to win a cool $250 million, though, didn't seem to draw the crazed stampede of wannabe Trumps that it has in the past. In 1984, a then-record $40 million jackpot in Illinois actually caused people to fly in from overseas to take a stab at it.
For some, huge jackpots such as the one offered by the Mega Millions lottery in California and 11 other states Tuesday night are no longer seen as the rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities they once were.
"It's not a unique event," said Michael Jones, former head of the Illinois Lottery and now a lottery consultant. "It happens four or five times a year."
People today also have more gambling options — such as the growth of Indian casinos in San Diego County — that hurt the lottery, others argue. Gamblers say the odds of winning in a casino are better than winning the lottery, and the experience is far more electric.
Frank Trejo, a mobile home park maintenance worker, bought a $1 ticket yesterday at the South Bay Liquor Store in a strip mall in Chula Vista.
Trejo's co-worker, Juan Rodriguez, also put down $1, but both men said they tend to go to casinos more these days. Trejo said casinos offer smaller jackpots but are more fun.
"You entertain yourself and forget everything — all your bills," Trejo said.
At one point, Mega Millions sales in California were expected to fall 37 percent below budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The final numbers aren't out, but the lottery got a boost when a Mega Millions jackpot reached a record $390 million in March. A lack of big jackpots was to blame for poor sales, lottery officials said.
This week, California's Mega Millions sales more than doubled to $19 million. But the excitement level didn't match what it was in, say, 1988, when the California Lottery — with a $51 million prize at stake — had to create something called the Lottery Fever Management Team to deal with the demand on outlets.
In one day alone, $33 million in tickets were sold.
That was when the California Lottery, now 22 years old, pretty much stood alone. Las Vegas-style Indian casinos weren't approved until 2000, and now San Diego County has 10, more than any other county in the United States.
"The lottery used to be the only game in town," said Marc Lefkowitz, executive vice president of the California Council on Problem Gambling. "And people only have so many gambling dollars to spend."
Sales for California's homegrown big-money game, SuperLotto, were once projected to fall 12 percent below budget for fiscal 2006. The next drawing for SuperLotto Plus, at $87 million, is tonight.
It's no accident that jackpots tend to be bigger these days. That's because the odds of winning them are slimmer, making it more likely that the jackpot will grow. The odds of winning Mega Millions? It's one in 175,711,536.
Even progressive slots — the longest of long shots in a casino — have better odds at roughly 40 million to one.
The California Lottery doesn't consider casinos competition because the games and gambling experiences are different, said Cathy Johnston, a lottery spokeswoman.
People buying lottery tickets yesterday had a different opinion. Christian Gutierrez, who works in sales, spent $3 and let his 3-year-old son, Christian Jr., pick one set of numbers at the South Bay Liquor Store. Gutierrez said he only plays when the jackpot is at least $100 million.
Gutierrez used to play a lot, putting down $100 or $200 at a time, but he now buys a lottery ticket occasionally without expecting to win.
"It's just for fun," he said.
These days, Gutierrez prefers going to casinos.
"You get more for your money," he said. "Even if you lose, you've had your fun."
Some gamblers interviewed at Harrah's Rincon Casino yesterday said they shy away from the lottery, regardless of the jackpot size.
It's that vast disconnect between the obscene size of the jackpot and the unreality of attaining it that bothers him, said Mike Bares, a trucker whose wife, Connie, is his driving partner. A few hours of pulling slots may yield a more humble jackpot, but it's one Bares said he feels more connected to.
Patricia Barnese of Northridge once played the California Lottery, but it got too complicated, she said. Two weeks ago, Barnese tried it again and bought 15 Lotto tickets. She hit only one number and found the whole exercise depressing, she said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger floated a plan this year to privatize the lottery, arguing that it could be run more efficiently. A number of states are looking at privatization as a way to boost what they consider under-performing lotteries.
Jones, the former Illinois lottery director, said he thinks lotteries still can capture the public's imagination, despite increasing competition. People who like to gamble like to play the lottery, he said. The goal is to capture people who don't normally play.
"Then and now, the fascination factor remains," Jones said of those dizzying jackpots.
As I stated in another thread earlier, playing for a large lottery jackpot use to be an event. Before MegaMillions came to Ohio, I would travel to Indiana to play PowerBall and to Michigan to play the BigGame and there were always long lines of folks waiting to buy tickets if the jackpots were over $80M. Sometimes there would even be a TV news team covering the event.
These day more states participate so there are more places to play with smaller crowds at them and $100M jackpots are kinda expected so they are not news worthy unless someone local wins.
I have noticed that $200M+ jackpots are making the news but with so many places to play there aren't the crowds of people waiting in lines to buy tickets that were common ten years ago. Lotto fever still exist but its harder to find. I plan to buy tickets for the $325M MM drawing but I'll probably wait until just before the drawing, ten years ago I would have been standing in line 24 hours earlier just to make sure I hadn't missed a chance to buy tickets.
"At one point, Mega Millions sales in California were expected to fall 37 percent below budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The final numbers aren't out, but the lottery got a boost when a Mega Millions jackpot reached a record $390 million in March. A lack of big jackpots was to blame for poor sales, lottery officials said"
I've been saying it forever only to be shot down by people on this post. The general public wants large jackpots more often...period.
I'm hoping several people split it, and not a pool, either- several individuals. Who really needs $330,000,000, or whatever it will be after cash option or not and taxes?
Re: the topic title, funny how we get desensitized so quickly, isn't it?
Someday there will be a $500,000,000 jackpot- and as soon as it's announced people will be talking about a $600,000,000 jackpot, etc...
Yes, DoubleDown, you may be right: "$200 million cash value jackpot ain't what it used to be." Of course, I have jackpot loser's fatigue, but I am afraid of not playing: say what? My numbers came out and I did not play them!
Usually, when people stop playing...then, their ship comes into port...and unfortunately, they are not there to catch it: they are running toward their ship -- but the ship is pulling out to sea. How sad, how tragic!
Moral of this scenario: no one knows when they are going to hit, the age they are going to hit, and how much they are going to win. Yeah, we hear of 60 year olds hitting -- a rare 70 -- but they were patient! If you are in good health, hitting the jackpot at 50, 60, or even 70 can bring prosperity.
Quote: Originally posted by dphillips on Aug 30, 2007
Yes, DoubleDown, you may be right: "$200 million cash value jackpot ain't what it used to be." Of course, I have jackpot loser's fatigue, but I am afraid of not playing: say what? My numbers came out and I did not play them!
Usually, when people stop playing...then, their ship comes into port...and unfortunately, they are not there to catch it: they are running toward their ship -- but the ship is pulling out to sea. How sad, how tragic!
Moral of this scenario: no one knows when they are going to hit, the age they are going to hit, and how much they are going to win. Yeah, we hear of 60 year olds hitting -- a rare 70 -- but they were patient! If you are in good health, hitting the jackpot at 50, 60, or even 70 can bring prosperity.
I hope I'm not at the airport when my ship comes in !!!!!
With all the gambling options when are states and the federal government going to realize that tax-free winnings on state run games is in their interest. Every other country has figured that one out.
What a TERRIBLE and MEAN spirited article this is against the California Lottery! Why was California the only state focused on for the $330 million Mega Millions game out of the 12 states that sell tickets? Everyone that was interviewed in this article appears to hate the California lottery. You call this unbiased reporting? What a bunch of you know what!
This is just more political fallout because of the privatization debate in California where Schwarzenegger wants to sell out the Lottery to private business. Privatizing the California lottery is a HUGE mistake in any state that considers it including California. This once again shows the tidal wave of big business money trying to get their mits on government run businesses that actually does some good for education ($1 bill + goes to CA schools each year because of this self funded agency that runs very efficiently on a 2 or 3% margin). How many private companies can boast of such an efficiently run organization that takes in over $3 B in sales each year where 50% funds the jackpots, 6% to retailer commissions, 35 or 36% to education of the total sales?). Instead, we have private money coming in to change the Lottery Act to make them look like they can increase sales tremendously when the California lottery has to follow the rules of the Lottery Act. It is just not right!! Allow the CA Lottery to have the same rules the private companies will lobby for (and probably get changed) and you will see a huge spike in sales, winners and jackpots.
Now, add the fact that no one at the California lottery can defend themselves in the press to counteract this bad press because they are all appointed by Schwartzenegger and you have the makings of a dying Lottery that in fact is very well run. Of course all Lotteries across the country are suffering from Lottery fatigue. It is the nature of the business. As soon as new Lottery Fever type jackpots happen, this once again reminds players to get in on the action and they play as they always do. This has been happening since the mid 70's when Lotteries on the East Coast first started and spread across the USA in the late 80's until today (actually, Lotteries started many years before to raise money for various things in the late 17 and 1800's and is a pivitol foundation that build this country). This is nothing new in history but makes political agendas make headlines that sales are down on the short term.
What we have is truly politics in action because "what is not logical is POLITICAL" and articles like this posted from the San Diego newspaper are probably sponsored by folks like Pete Wilson (one of the behind the scenes drivers of Schwartnegger that is from San Diego that wants to degrade, demean and attack this lottery for his own political agenda to reinforce Arnold's goals of being a servant of big business instead of being a servant of what's best for California in the long term) that want big business to take over this well run lottery. It is sad to watch this happen, but in time there will be enough facts for voters in California to learn this is a political sham that is happening and I trust in time people will see through the politics and do the right thing and not let articles like this influence them.
Shame on the San Diego press for being so gullible and shame on the political regime from Arnold's staff for trying to make private business even richer for their own political gain and resume building! They are pathetic drones with a task list only concerned about their own welling being and enrichment. That is why government oversight was created in the first place many decades ago. Has everyone forgotten their history lessons from school? Many people have forgotten that private business will suck the very blood out of any business for the benefit of only a few and that is why goverment agencies were put in their place to ensure this doesn't happen.
Everyone needs to acknowledge Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers are behind this bad type of press to enrich their own companies. They have offered $70 billion to buy out California on a 30 or 40 year lease (because they can raise the cash easily to accomplish this boondoggle!). What do you think will happen to the profits above $70 bil over this timeframe? It is a bad deal for the California lottery to let this happen (or any other state considering selling out to big business). How soon do you think the head of both of these companies will want a raise in salary from $300 million per year to say $700 million per year because they can control a lottery of this size that generate billions of dollars each year (CEO's I mean)? California players will be at their mercy and these companies will have the money to change the rules anyway they want to keep increasing revenue each year. I say, give the California lottery the same rule changes that these companies want and sales, players, and schools will benefit much more over the same timespan. The California lottery has nearly a 22 year track history of keeping costs down to a very minimum (2 or 3% margin which is unheard of in almost any private company) and the above companies have proven records of fleecing and exploiting companies to make hundreds of billions of dollars so they have the cash to pay for such obvious bias and political articles like all of us just read here on Lottery Post.
What a shame Lottery Post has been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world.
Quote: Originally posted by CaliforniaGuy on Aug 31, 2007
What a TERRIBLE and MEAN spirited article this is against the California Lottery! Why was California the only state focused on for the $330 million Mega Millions game out of the 12 states that sell tickets? Everyone that was interviewed in this article appears to hate the California lottery. You call this unbiased reporting? What a bunch of you know what!
This is just more political fallout because of the privatization debate in California where Schwarzenegger wants to sell out the Lottery to private business. Privatizing the California lottery is a HUGE mistake in any state that considers it including California. This once again shows the tidal wave of big business money trying to get their mits on government run businesses that actually does some good for education ($1 bill + goes to CA schools each year because of this self funded agency that runs very efficiently on a 2 or 3% margin). How many private companies can boast of such an efficiently run organization that takes in over $3 B in sales each year where 50% funds the jackpots, 6% to retailer commissions, 35 or 36% to education of the total sales?). Instead, we have private money coming in to change the Lottery Act to make them look like they can increase sales tremendously when the California lottery has to follow the rules of the Lottery Act. It is just not right!! Allow the CA Lottery to have the same rules the private companies will lobby for (and probably get changed) and you will see a huge spike in sales, winners and jackpots.
Now, add the fact that no one at the California lottery can defend themselves in the press to counteract this bad press because they are all appointed by Schwartzenegger and you have the makings of a dying Lottery that in fact is very well run. Of course all Lotteries across the country are suffering from Lottery fatigue. It is the nature of the business. As soon as new Lottery Fever type jackpots happen, this once again reminds players to get in on the action and they play as they always do. This has been happening since the mid 70's when Lotteries on the East Coast first started and spread across the USA in the late 80's until today (actually, Lotteries started many years before to raise money for various things in the late 17 and 1800's and is a pivitol foundation that build this country). This is nothing new in history but makes political agendas make headlines that sales are down on the short term.
What we have is truly politics in action because "what is not logical is POLITICAL" and articles like this posted from the San Diego newspaper are probably sponsored by folks like Pete Wilson (one of the behind the scenes drivers of Schwartnegger that is from San Diego that wants to degrade, demean and attack this lottery for his own political agenda to reinforce Arnold's goals of being a servant of big business instead of being a servant of what's best for California in the long term) that want big business to take over this well run lottery. It is sad to watch this happen, but in time there will be enough facts for voters in California to learn this is a political sham that is happening and I trust in time people will see through the politics and do the right thing and not let articles like this influence them.
Shame on the San Diego press for being so gullible and shame on the political regime from Arnold's staff for trying to make private business even richer for their own political gain and resume building! They are pathetic drones with a task list only concerned about their own welling being and enrichment. That is why government oversight was created in the first place many decades ago. Has everyone forgotten their history lessons from school? Many people have forgotten that private business will suck the very blood out of any business for the benefit of only a few and that is why goverment agencies were put in their place to ensure this doesn't happen.
Everyone needs to acknowledge Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers are behind this bad type of press to enrich their own companies. They have offered $70 billion to buy out California on a 30 or 40 year lease (because they can raise the cash easily to accomplish this boondoggle!). What do you think will happen to the profits above $70 bil over this timeframe? It is a bad deal for the California lottery to let this happen (or any other state considering selling out to big business). How soon do you think the head of both of these companies will want a raise in salary from $300 million per year to say $700 million per year because they can control a lottery of this size that generate billions of dollars each year (CEO's I mean)? California players will be at their mercy and these companies will have the money to change the rules anyway they want to keep increasing revenue each year. I say, give the California lottery the same rule changes that these companies want and sales, players, and schools will benefit much more over the same timespan. The California lottery has nearly a 22 year track history of keeping costs down to a very minimum (2 or 3% margin which is unheard of in almost any private company) and the above companies have proven records of fleecing and exploiting companies to make hundreds of billions of dollars so they have the cash to pay for such obvious bias and political articles like all of us just read here on Lottery Post.
What a shame Lottery Post has been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world.
Let's not be fooled folks..
CaliforniaGuy, welcome to the lottery post.
Since you are a new member and the above is your 2nd post, please allow me to ask: how would you know that the Lottery Post has " been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world" ?
MM and PB prizes remind me of the experiment with rats. Each rat has a lever to push for food in the cage.
In the experiment, some rats received a food pellet every time they pushed the lever. Others got the treat randomly, say on average every four or five pushes. Still others got no food by pushing the lever. Then the researchers stopped giving out any pellets. The rats who never received food had already stopped pushing, the rats who always got a pellet stopped pressing the lever very quickly. But, the rats who received random reinforcement kept on pushing that lever for a long, long time after the treats kept coming.
In a similar way, MM and PB have made it ridiculously difficult to win even a small food pellet! If these lotteries want to increase lotto fever, hook people, and keep them coming back, they need to give out smaller prizes more often. Perhaps a 5/75 + 1/10 matrix. Nearly identical odds of winning as current 5/56 + 1/46 on MM. Give out $1 for matching 0+1. Plus the second-tier prize of 5+0 could be $2 million. Keep em comin back!
Quote: Originally posted by JAG331 on Aug 31, 2007
MM and PB prizes remind me of the experiment with rats. Each rat has a lever to push for food in the cage.
In the experiment, some rats received a food pellet every time they pushed the lever. Others got the treat randomly, say on average every four or five pushes. Still others got no food by pushing the lever. Then the researchers stopped giving out any pellets. The rats who never received food had already stopped pushing, the rats who always got a pellet stopped pressing the lever very quickly. But, the rats who received random reinforcement kept on pushing that lever for a long, long time after the treats kept coming.
In a similar way, MM and PB have made it ridiculously difficult to win even a small food pellet! If these lotteries want to increase lotto fever, hook people, and keep them coming back, they need to give out smaller prizes more often. Perhaps a 5/75 + 1/10 matrix. Nearly identical odds of winning as current 5/56 + 1/46 on MM. Give out $1 for matching 0+1. Plus the second-tier prize of 5+0 could be $2 million. Keep em comin back!
If you have to pay people to buy lottery tickets then there no sense is having one and guaranteeing every player a dollar for every 10 dollars he spent would be doing that.
When ever enough tickets are sold to generate a $200M+ jackpot, as many players are buying tickets as ever. They aren't standing in line to buy them because there are more places to buy them then there were ten years ago. Reduce the number of places that's allowed to sell MM and PB tickets and you're see the large crowds again when the jackpot reach $200M+.
MM jackpot is at $330M and I haven't bought any tickets yet because I got plenty of time and 10 places within a five minutes drive to buy them. Eight years ago before MM came to Ohio I would have driven to Michigan yesterday to buy them and hoped I didn't have to stand in line over an hour. Also if Ohio hadn't had MM with a jackpot close to that of PB last week, I would have probably driven to Indiana for PB tickets. I'm buying as many PB and MM tickets as I ever did, it just now I don't have to travel out of state or stand in line any more.
Even 10 years ago when a 150M Powerball was unheard of I remember standing on line for 3 hours in CT and then hearing "go 5 miles up I-95, there's no lines there!" so the places that get busy would always be the border stores. The Speedway in Richmond is the first exit in Indiana coming from Ohio and Stateline Stationery the first exit going into CT. One big problem was with long lines they said QP ONLY. We have several of these high jackpots each year, more places to play, and you can usually pick your numbers and not feel rushed and not have to travel as far. Yes I miss those road trips and the novelty but like anything else novelty wears off (even for jackpot winners sometimes) but I think also people feel like "ah, there will be another big jackpot next month" or "nah, I'll wait for my own State's MM or PB to get up there."
I don't know but it would be interesting to find out, how fast did jackpots rise 10 years ago and how fast they rise now and how often won? Another way to get higher jackpots more often would be to <cringe> add more numbers but few people want that! 20M is fine with me.
Quote: Originally posted by DoubleDown on Aug 31, 2007
CaliforniaGuy, welcome to the lottery post.
Since you are a new member and the above is your 2nd post, please allow me to ask: how would you know that the Lottery Post has " been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world" ?
To DoubleDown:
Although you feel I am a new member, I am a frequent reader of Lottery Post news on this website for many years now on a daily basis. I just don't wish to post on every story as some do here thousands of times such as yourself and I prefer to lurk rather than jump in on stories of everyday interest to anyone in the field such as myself. We all read the "daily's" that come out in the press and of course Lottery Post is usually part of what is happening in the business.
If you spend a few minutes researching on the internet you will see companies such as I mentioned in my comments are part of a world consortium of where big business wants to invest their money for the future. You will find these two companies along with other world businesses trying to get in on lottery money from around the world. LotteryPost.com is an easy place for political influence to happen and that is why I made the comments stated. I can easily back up my comments if you wish to take this offline.
Lottery money is huge, big money, and many companies are attracted to this big cash. Think globally my friend and you will see how easy this little website influences many as to trends and problems with the industry. That is why biased and politically influenced articles such as from the San Diego newspaper should be attacked every single time big business tries to impose their opinions to further their agenda upon us so they can pocket money easily into their companies coffers over the next few decades. USA Lotteries are ripe for this as well as international lotteries to make a killing if they can convince everyone to privatize every lottery on the planet. In the short term it will seem great, but in the long run billions of Dollars, Euros, British Sterling, etc.. will go to a few world companies and that is NOT how the industry should manage itself for the long run. It might seem good for the short term political leaders re-elected and their short term troups in place to make some money, but we will all lose if this happens!
It's depressing to never ever win anything. I still play hoping for lightning to strike.
How succinct. How eloquent. I couldn't have put it better myself. Unfortunately.
I wish that's all it took. I live in the lightning capital of the world!
There is a name for this and contrary to what the Lotteries want you to believe it isn't Jackpot Fatigue. It's called Loser's Fatigue!
I know because I suffer from it too.
Jim
That Big-jack-pot she-ain't-what-she-use-to-be, ain't-what-she-use-to-be, ain't-what-she-use-to-be.
That Big-jack-pot she-ain't-what-she-use-to-be, ain't-what-she-use-to-be, ain't-what-she-use-to-be.
Is it better to get cash option or annuity and why?
As I stated in another thread earlier, playing for a large lottery jackpot use to be an event. Before MegaMillions came to Ohio, I would travel to Indiana to play PowerBall and to Michigan to play the BigGame and there were always long lines of folks waiting to buy tickets if the jackpots were over $80M. Sometimes there would even be a TV news team covering the event.
These day more states participate so there are more places to play with smaller crowds at them and $100M jackpots are kinda expected so they are not news worthy unless someone local wins.
I have noticed that $200M+ jackpots are making the news but with so many places to play there aren't the crowds of people waiting in lines to buy tickets that were common ten years ago. Lotto fever still exist but its harder to find. I plan to buy tickets for the $325M MM drawing but I'll probably wait until just before the drawing, ten years ago I would have been standing in line 24 hours earlier just to make sure I hadn't missed a chance to buy tickets.
I guess a $200 million cash value jackpot ain't what it used to be. groan
I'd sure take it !
I hope there is a Mega Millions and a California Super Lotto Plus winner at the next draw.
I hope it's you- I hope you step forward, choose cash option, and do not have financial problems later in life.
hahahah! Well good luck to you too, but honestly I hope it's me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"At one point, Mega Millions sales in California were expected to fall 37 percent below budget for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The final numbers aren't out, but the lottery got a boost when a Mega Millions jackpot reached a record $390 million in March. A lack of big jackpots was to blame for poor sales, lottery officials said"
I've been saying it forever only to be shot down by people on this post. The general public wants large jackpots more often...period.
I'm hoping several people split it, and not a pool, either- several individuals. Who really needs $330,000,000, or whatever it will be after cash option or not and taxes?
Re: the topic title, funny how we get desensitized so quickly, isn't it?
Someday there will be a $500,000,000 jackpot- and as soon as it's announced people will be talking about a $600,000,000 jackpot, etc...
Yes, DoubleDown, you may be right: "$200 million cash value jackpot ain't what it used to be." Of course, I have jackpot loser's fatigue, but I am afraid of not playing: say what? My numbers came out and I did not play them!
Usually, when people stop playing...then, their ship comes into port...and unfortunately, they are not there to catch it: they are running toward their ship -- but the ship is pulling out to sea. How sad, how tragic!
Moral of this scenario: no one knows when they are going to hit, the age they are going to hit, and how much they are going to win. Yeah, we hear of 60 year olds hitting -- a rare 70 -- but they were patient! If you are in good health, hitting the jackpot at 50, 60, or even 70 can bring prosperity.
I hope I'm not at the airport when my ship comes in !!!!!
With all the gambling options when are states and the federal government going to realize that tax-free winnings on state run games is in their interest. Every other country has figured that one out.
What a TERRIBLE and MEAN spirited article this is against the California Lottery! Why was California the only state focused on for the $330 million Mega Millions game out of the 12 states that sell tickets? Everyone that was interviewed in this article appears to hate the California lottery. You call this unbiased reporting? What a bunch of you know what!
This is just more political fallout because of the privatization debate in California where Schwarzenegger wants to sell out the Lottery to private business. Privatizing the California lottery is a HUGE mistake in any state that considers it including California. This once again shows the tidal wave of big business money trying to get their mits on government run businesses that actually does some good for education ($1 bill + goes to CA schools each year because of this self funded agency that runs very efficiently on a 2 or 3% margin). How many private companies can boast of such an efficiently run organization that takes in over $3 B in sales each year where 50% funds the jackpots, 6% to retailer commissions, 35 or 36% to education of the total sales?). Instead, we have private money coming in to change the Lottery Act to make them look like they can increase sales tremendously when the California lottery has to follow the rules of the Lottery Act. It is just not right!! Allow the CA Lottery to have the same rules the private companies will lobby for (and probably get changed) and you will see a huge spike in sales, winners and jackpots.
Now, add the fact that no one at the California lottery can defend themselves in the press to counteract this bad press because they are all appointed by Schwartzenegger and you have the makings of a dying Lottery that in fact is very well run. Of course all Lotteries across the country are suffering from Lottery fatigue. It is the nature of the business. As soon as new Lottery Fever type jackpots happen, this once again reminds players to get in on the action and they play as they always do. This has been happening since the mid 70's when Lotteries on the East Coast first started and spread across the USA in the late 80's until today (actually, Lotteries started many years before to raise money for various things in the late 17 and 1800's and is a pivitol foundation that build this country). This is nothing new in history but makes political agendas make headlines that sales are down on the short term.
What we have is truly politics in action because "what is not logical is POLITICAL" and articles like this posted from the San Diego newspaper are probably sponsored by folks like Pete Wilson (one of the behind the scenes drivers of Schwartnegger that is from San Diego that wants to degrade, demean and attack this lottery for his own political agenda to reinforce Arnold's goals of being a servant of big business instead of being a servant of what's best for California in the long term) that want big business to take over this well run lottery. It is sad to watch this happen, but in time there will be enough facts for voters in California to learn this is a political sham that is happening and I trust in time people will see through the politics and do the right thing and not let articles like this influence them.
Shame on the San Diego press for being so gullible and shame on the political regime from Arnold's staff for trying to make private business even richer for their own political gain and resume building! They are pathetic drones with a task list only concerned about their own welling being and enrichment. That is why government oversight was created in the first place many decades ago. Has everyone forgotten their history lessons from school? Many people have forgotten that private business will suck the very blood out of any business for the benefit of only a few and that is why goverment agencies were put in their place to ensure this doesn't happen.
Everyone needs to acknowledge Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers are behind this bad type of press to enrich their own companies. They have offered $70 billion to buy out California on a 30 or 40 year lease (because they can raise the cash easily to accomplish this boondoggle!). What do you think will happen to the profits above $70 bil over this timeframe? It is a bad deal for the California lottery to let this happen (or any other state considering selling out to big business). How soon do you think the head of both of these companies will want a raise in salary from $300 million per year to say $700 million per year because they can control a lottery of this size that generate billions of dollars each year (CEO's I mean)? California players will be at their mercy and these companies will have the money to change the rules anyway they want to keep increasing revenue each year. I say, give the California lottery the same rule changes that these companies want and sales, players, and schools will benefit much more over the same timespan. The California lottery has nearly a 22 year track history of keeping costs down to a very minimum (2 or 3% margin which is unheard of in almost any private company) and the above companies have proven records of fleecing and exploiting companies to make hundreds of billions of dollars so they have the cash to pay for such obvious bias and political articles like all of us just read here on Lottery Post.
What a shame Lottery Post has been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world.
Let's not be fooled folks..
CaliforniaGuy, welcome to the lottery post.
Since you are a new member and the above is your 2nd post, please allow me to ask: how would you know that the Lottery Post has " been infiltrated by big business to push their takeovers of great lotteries around the world" ?
MM and PB prizes remind me of the experiment with rats. Each rat has a lever to push for food in the cage.
In the experiment, some rats received a food pellet every time they pushed the lever. Others got the treat randomly, say on average every four or five pushes. Still others got no food by pushing the lever. Then the researchers stopped giving out any pellets. The rats who never received food had already stopped pushing, the rats who always got a pellet stopped pressing the lever very quickly. But, the rats who received random reinforcement kept on pushing that lever for a long, long time after the treats kept coming.
In a similar way, MM and PB have made it ridiculously difficult to win even a small food pellet! If these lotteries want to increase lotto fever, hook people, and keep them coming back, they need to give out smaller prizes more often. Perhaps a 5/75 + 1/10 matrix. Nearly identical odds of winning as current 5/56 + 1/46 on MM. Give out $1 for matching 0+1. Plus the second-tier prize of 5+0 could be $2 million. Keep em comin back!
It would be great if someone wins a MM jackpot on this draw.
I hope there is a Mega Millions and a California Super Lotto Plus winner at the next draw.
I hope it's you- I hope you step forward, choose cash option, and do not have financial problems later in life.
If you have to pay people to buy lottery tickets then there no sense is having one and guaranteeing every player a dollar for every 10 dollars he spent would be doing that.
When ever enough tickets are sold to generate a $200M+ jackpot, as many players are buying tickets as ever. They aren't standing in line to buy them because there are more places to buy them then there were ten years ago. Reduce the number of places that's allowed to sell MM and PB tickets and you're see the large crowds again when the jackpot reach $200M+.
MM jackpot is at $330M and I haven't bought any tickets yet because I got plenty of time and 10 places within a five minutes drive to buy them. Eight years ago before MM came to Ohio I would have driven to Michigan yesterday to buy them and hoped I didn't have to stand in line over an hour. Also if Ohio hadn't had MM with a jackpot close to that of PB last week, I would have probably driven to Indiana for PB tickets. I'm buying as many PB and MM tickets as I ever did, it just now I don't have to travel out of state or stand in line any more.
Even 10 years ago when a 150M Powerball was unheard of I remember standing on line for 3 hours in CT and then hearing "go 5 miles up I-95, there's no lines there!" so the places that get busy would always be the border stores. The Speedway in Richmond is the first exit in Indiana coming from Ohio and Stateline Stationery the first exit going into CT. One big problem was with long lines they said QP ONLY. We have several of these high jackpots each year, more places to play, and you can usually pick your numbers and not feel rushed and not have to travel as far. Yes I miss those road trips and the novelty but like anything else novelty wears off (even for jackpot winners sometimes) but I think also people feel like "ah, there will be another big jackpot next month" or "nah, I'll wait for my own State's MM or PB to get up there."
I don't know but it would be interesting to find out, how fast did jackpots rise 10 years ago and how fast they rise now and how often won? Another way to get higher jackpots more often would be to <cringe> add more numbers but few people want that! 20M is fine with me.
To DoubleDown:
Although you feel I am a new member, I am a frequent reader of Lottery Post news on this website for many years now on a daily basis. I just don't wish to post on every story as some do here thousands of times such as yourself and I prefer to lurk rather than jump in on stories of everyday interest to anyone in the field such as myself. We all read the "daily's" that come out in the press and of course Lottery Post is usually part of what is happening in the business.
If you spend a few minutes researching on the internet you will see companies such as I mentioned in my comments are part of a world consortium of where big business wants to invest their money for the future. You will find these two companies along with other world businesses trying to get in on lottery money from around the world. LotteryPost.com is an easy place for political influence to happen and that is why I made the comments stated. I can easily back up my comments if you wish to take this offline.
Lottery money is huge, big money, and many companies are attracted to this big cash. Think globally my friend and you will see how easy this little website influences many as to trends and problems with the industry. That is why biased and politically influenced articles such as from the San Diego newspaper should be attacked every single time big business tries to impose their opinions to further their agenda upon us so they can pocket money easily into their companies coffers over the next few decades. USA Lotteries are ripe for this as well as international lotteries to make a killing if they can convince everyone to privatize every lottery on the planet. In the short term it will seem great, but in the long run billions of Dollars, Euros, British Sterling, etc.. will go to a few world companies and that is NOT how the industry should manage itself for the long run. It might seem good for the short term political leaders re-elected and their short term troups in place to make some money, but we will all lose if this happens!