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MissNYC

Westchester, New York
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Nov 1, 2008, 10:27 am

Remember the days when Mega Millions and Powerball had 200 and 300 million dollar jackpots? I can't even remember the last time either hit 100 million. Not that 50 million isn't a lot of money, but weren't huge jackpots the point of the games? Do any of you think more people are playing and hence winning due to the economy and their own personal need for financial hope?

"If you just keep believing, that dream that you wish will come true"
cosmotravis

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September 25, 2008
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Nov 1, 2008, 11:39 am

how long you been playing? i've seen several over 100 mil.
Jimhowlett

Northern Ohio
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August 1, 2008
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Nov 1, 2008, 12:08 pm

Quote: Originally posted by MissNYC on Nov 1, 2008
Remember the days when Mega Millions and Powerball had 200 and 300 million dollar jackpots? I can't even remember the last time either hit 100 million. Not that 50 million isn't a lot of money, but weren't huge jackpots the point of the games? Do any of you think more people are playing and hence winning due to the economy and their own personal need for financial hope?

I know what you're saying. It seems before you'd see 9 digit JPs all the time. We didn't have one since early summer or thereabouts.
Guru101

Indiana
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Nov 1, 2008, 2:33 pm

I'm sure most people who are playing the lottery in the first place cannot rightfully say that a PB or MM jackpot is "low". If they could, they wouldn't be playing the lottery in the first place. Perhaps "lower" is a better word. $12M is more than enough for the average person.

Gonna win.
diamondpalace

United States
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April 12, 2008
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Nov 1, 2008, 3:05 pm

The lottery sales has gone up indeed due to the current state of the economy. I know I have played more now than before. It will be awhile before seeing jackpot going up 9 figures in 300,000 mark or above. With more people playing the chance of someone winning is there. Even if a person won 12 million (the start prize of the jackpot) can last a lifetime if they manage it well.

Good luck to those who play. For those that won, I am sure it is hell of a relief.
MaddMike51

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February 18, 2008
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Nov 1, 2008, 6:57 pm

I play the same amount no matter what shape the economy is in.I play $2 for each Powerball (with powerplay) drawing and $1 dollar for each Mega Million drawing,for a total of $6 dollars a week.I don't care how big the jackpots grow,I spend the same amount.You only need one ticket to win.
MissNYC

Westchester, New York
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Nov 2, 2008, 1:19 pm

Quote: Originally posted by cosmotravis on Nov 1, 2008
how long you been playing? i've seen several over 100 mil.

I have been playing for years....but I haven't seen jackpots roll to over 100 million like they used to in a long while.

"If you just keep believing, that dream that you wish will come true"
MissNYC

Westchester, New York
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Nov 2, 2008, 1:20 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Guru101 on Nov 1, 2008
I'm sure most people who are playing the lottery in the first place cannot rightfully say that a PB or MM jackpot is "low". If they could, they wouldn't be playing the lottery in the first place. Perhaps "lower" is a better word. $12M is more than enough for the average person.

Indeed...but if I want a 12 million dollar jackpot, I can play my local state lottery. My point is that the mega millions and powerball market themselves as having these extra large jackpots that can reach 500 million dollars, and lately, they rarely hit 100 million.

"If you just keep believing, that dream that you wish will come true"
diamondpalace

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Nov 2, 2008, 5:38 pm

I don't have TV to know how the Mega Millions are marketing themselves to be a 500 millions jackpot. Few years back when the sun was out with birds flying by, I quickly glimsp at the TV commercial, and it was the Mega Million advert. The whole thing was simply saying "It could be you" type of inspiration.

There are 3 types of lotto players, the regular, the occasion, and the spontaneous.

The regular like most on LP have ways to play the numbers, research, analysing, and developing systems to better their odds.

The occasion play when there is a need for financial supliment in their lives, or that they see the jackpot is high and wanting a piece of it.

The spontaneous are those who only play when it is on their birthday, or was out with a regular who happens to bought a ticket and they too got one.

Times like these we have all three players combined which in turn create more winners, and less of the jackpot.

We probally will not see a 300 million or more jackpot in another 1.5 - 2 years...
RJOh

100

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Nov 2, 2008, 5:54 pm

As gas prices went up to $4 a gallon, $1 for a lottery ticket to win million$ seem like a good bargain and more people played. As gas prices return to $2 a gallon, those players may consider the value of a dollar too valuable to waste on a lottery ticket.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
spy153

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December 15, 2005
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Nov 2, 2008, 6:06 pm

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Nov 2, 2008
As gas prices went up to $4 a gallon, $1 for a lottery ticket to win million$ seem like a good bargain and more people played. As gas prices return to $2 a gallon, those players may consider the value of a dollar too valuable to waste on a lottery ticket.

I am a lottery player and I don't see it that way. With gas prices down, I am more likely to play the lottery, because I can afford to have a dream. When the gas prices are high, it takes more money to make it through the week. Most people live like I do. Week to week. Check to check. We are the backbone of America. We are the grunts doing all the stuff no one talks about at their little <snip>tail parties and benefit dinners. If we can not make it, it is because things (inflation) is too high and the nation falls to it's Knees just like we have seen happen recently.

This post has been automatically changed by the Lottery Post computer system to remove inappropriate content and/or spam.

voir-vous dans mes reves!
ambelamba

Entertaiment Capital
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April 19, 2006
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Nov 2, 2008, 8:19 pm

I consider myself an occasional player because I don't play lottery until the jackpot hits the certain amount.

I used to play religiously, for about two years. I got sick of it this year and I rarely play MM and SLP. Actually, I feel bitter about MM because it takes away a lot of rollover amount from SLP. Until the beginning of 2005, the rollover rate of SLP was pretty high. It reached 80 to 100 millions only after a few rollovers. But now, you have to wait about 2 months (2 MONTHS!!!!!) to reach 40 millions in SLP.

And I am about to receive lifetime fixed income from VA. Now my desire to play lottery is greatly diminished because I plan to get a job as a production assistant at either Disney or Dreamworks next year. If I have a sizable monthly income to suport myself and pay for art models and private art classes, I don't have to crave for huge amount of money.

But who knows? If I won 300 million dollars then I can buy properties and set up a comicbook publishing company, game studio, and an animation studio out of the incomes from the properties. But I know that there are thousands of guy in LA area who can do the exact same thing if they won 300 million dollars.
DC81

MI
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Nov 2, 2008, 11:37 pm

Last time it made over 100 million was back in late August at 132M, not that long ago....

This year there has been five 100M+ Jackpots, with one just being under 200M at 196M and the other being 270M. Though, it hasn't made it over 42 million/four rolls in the last two months it's still not as if it's something major. Yeah, last year had two 300+ Million dollar jackpots, hell IMO last year was just one big anomaly due to that. Still it "only" made it over 100M six times, seven if you count a jackpot won at the start of the year which only had one roll in 2007 before being won. So with several weeks to go, it could still tie last year and easily have another 100M or greater jackpot.

You can't predict random.
KY Floyd

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October 16, 2005
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Nov 3, 2008, 2:51 am

Quote: Originally posted by MissNYC on Nov 1, 2008
Remember the days when Mega Millions and Powerball had 200 and 300 million dollar jackpots? I can't even remember the last time either hit 100 million. Not that 50 million isn't a lot of money, but weren't huge jackpots the point of the games? Do any of you think more people are playing and hence winning due to the economy and their own personal need for financial hope?

As was already pointed out, MM was over 100 million barely 2 months ago. PB was at 200 ust over one month ago. That we don't remember when it last happened doesn't mean it didn't happen recently. For some reason people tend to have faulty memories about how often (or how rarely) some things happen, and how long ago (or how recently) they happened.

If more people are playing then more people are winning, but that does nothing to limit the size of jackpots. On average, more people playing means that jackpots will be won sooner, but it also means that jackpots will grow faster.
RJOh

100

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March 24, 2001
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Nov 3, 2008, 2:14 pm

Quote: Originally posted by MissNYC on Nov 1, 2008
Remember the days when Mega Millions and Powerball had 200 and 300 million dollar jackpots? I can't even remember the last time either hit 100 million. Not that 50 million isn't a lot of money, but weren't huge jackpots the point of the games? Do any of you think more people are playing and hence winning due to the economy and their own personal need for financial hope?

If you're not the winner, then the jackpots amounts aren't worth remembering.

01/01/08 = MM jackpot $163M won in TX.
02/01/08-02/22/08 = MM jackpot $102-$270M* won in GA.
02/16/08-03/15/08 = PB jackpot $100-$276M* won in WV.
03/21/08-04/01/08 = MM jackpot $100-$135M won in MI.
04/16/08-05/03/08 = PB jackpot $105-$180M won in MN.
04/29/08-05/16/08 = MM jackpot $100-$196M won in OH.
07/15/08-07/22/08 = MM jackpot $105-$125M won in NJ.
08/22/08-08/29/08 = MM jackpot $114-$132M won in GA.
09/06/08-09/27/08 = PB jackpot $102-$207M* won in NM.

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

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