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shyguitar

United States
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February 1, 2012
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Apr 23, 2014, 6:36 am

Hi everone,

It has been around 8 months or so that I've been keeping myself on a kottery budget and have been feeling good about it. Now there is a new 30 dollar scratch ticket in MA that just came out yesterday with 4 top prizes of 15 million and 36 1 million prizes. This is the most expensive ticket in MA that we have ever had. I rarely play scratch tickets anymore and after reading about this ticket and hearing my co-worker who is a big lottery player talking about it I'm very tempted to play. One of the reasons I had to stop playing scratchers was how easy it was to get addicted to them. Keeping myself on track with a budget had been working out well for me but this tempation to play this ticket could ruin my budget for me. I'm trying to have my realistic side remind me that the ticket run for this game is 25,200,000 and that there are 7,800 retailers selling lottery tickets in my state so the odds of ever winng a jackpot are near impossible. Yet my unrealistic side is telling me to just buy a couple and walk away. The problem is I'm not sure I could just buy a few tickets and walk away. I really want to stay on my budget and just play the lottery occassionally like I've been doing. It makes it tough when my co-worker always brags about how much she wins playing the lottery ( have a feeling she spends a lot to get those wins). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
bigbear29

United States
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August 1, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 7:44 am

Listen to yourself, you are doing the right thing. 30.00 is alot for 1 lottery ticket. Stay on budget!
Shelby Mustang

United States
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December 9, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 8:06 am

Shy if you really want it do what I used to do...work a little overtime if you can get it or if you cant get you a little part time job and figured out how much you want to make to buy stuff like that also I used to save all my pocket change like everytime I broke a dollar I'd put the change in a jar and at the end of the month I'd count up what I had and go buy something I wanted. One time I ended up with almost $75 in change
maringoman

Massachusetts
United States
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April 14, 2006
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Apr 23, 2014, 9:02 am

You gotta buy one to make the itch go away. *muhahaha*

That money's gone fo ever
Mattapan

boston,ma
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December 15, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 9:42 am

I live in Boston, and i'm on a lottery budget as well. Like Shelly posted, If I wanted to buy a $20.00 ticket, I would work some overtime. However, I was curious about this $30.00 ticket and bought 2. Both losers, so it's out of my system, now back to my regular allotment of tickets.
Jon D

Los Angeles, California
United States
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January 5, 2011
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Apr 23, 2014, 10:17 am

Quote: Originally posted by shyguitar on Apr 23, 2014
Hi everone,

It has been around 8 months or so that I've been keeping myself on a kottery budget and have been feeling good about it. Now there is a new 30 dollar scratch ticket in MA that just came out yesterday with 4 top prizes of 15 million and 36 1 million prizes. This is the most expensive ticket in MA that we have ever had. I rarely play scratch tickets anymore and after reading about this ticket and hearing my co-worker who is a big lottery player talking about it I'm very tempted to play. One of the reasons I had to stop playing scratchers was how easy it was to get addicted to them. Keeping myself on track with a budget had been working out well for me but this tempation to play this ticket could ruin my budget for me. I'm trying to have my realistic side remind me that the ticket run for this game is 25,200,000 and that there are 7,800 retailers selling lottery tickets in my state so the odds of ever winng a jackpot are near impossible. Yet my unrealistic side is telling me to just buy a couple and walk away. The problem is I'm not sure I could just buy a few tickets and walk away. I really want to stay on my budget and just play the lottery occassionally like I've been doing. It makes it tough when my co-worker always brags about how much she wins playing the lottery ( have a feeling she spends a lot to get those wins). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Listen to your realistic side.

High denomination Scratch games are for high rollers. Like that special roped off high-limit area in the center of the casino with $5 and higher slots and big bet tables. Just look at the Scratch-Off forum, people playing $20/$30 tickets can easily spend hundreds or thousands per week.

If your lottery budget is only like $30 a week, can you buy just 1 $30 ticket and satisfy your lottery fix, and not play any more lottery games at all? Or if you want to buy enough to have a chance at a win, like 3 or 4, are you comfortable with dropping $100 a sitting/visit trying to see a win on this game?

If not, maybe this is not your game. This game is designed to suck maximum dollars from players wallets. That's because the lottery knows most people can't buy just one and stop, just like the way it sounds like you are tempted. That's like eating just one potato chip. Can't be done.(for most) Except this chip is like a $2 potato chip! That's too much for me. I'd rather eat 2¢ potato chips myself.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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Apr 23, 2014, 10:53 am

shyguitar,

Almost every day there are a lot of losing $20 and $30 scratchers in the trash can next to the lottery machine where I 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.
bigbear29

United States
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August 1, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 11:39 am

Another thing, nobody knows if the 15 million dollar ticket has been release yet. I would say it has not for a new game.
noise-gate

* In hot pursuit of $ *

White Shores- California
United States
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December 12, 2012
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Apr 23, 2014, 11:52 am

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on Apr 23, 2014
Listen to your realistic side.

High denomination Scratch games are for high rollers. Like that special roped off high-limit area in the center of the casino with $5 and higher slots and big bet tables. Just look at the Scratch-Off forum, people playing $20/$30 tickets can easily spend hundreds or thousands per week.

If your lottery budget is only like $30 a week, can you buy just 1 $30 ticket and satisfy your lottery fix, and not play any more lottery games at all? Or if you want to buy enough to have a chance at a win, like 3 or 4, are you comfortable with dropping $100 a sitting/visit trying to see a win on this game?

If not, maybe this is not your game. This game is designed to suck maximum dollars from players wallets. That's because the lottery knows most people can't buy just one and stop, just like the way it sounds like you are tempted. That's like eating just one potato chip. Can't be done.(for most) Except this chip is like a $2 potato chip! That's too much for me. I'd rather eat 2¢ potato chips myself.

Couldn't have said it better myself JD.
That's not good advice- that's great advice!
mrcraft

Los Angeles, California
United States
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December 2, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 1:06 pm

Sounds like you're doing great with your budget. I'd pass on these $30 tickets (or JUST buy one) if I were in your shoes.

Another thing to keep in mind with this $30 game is that the $15 million and $1 million prizes are advertised as annuity values. Most people will take the cash option, so that'll be between 50 to 60% of the advertised jackpot.
LottoMetro

Happyland
United States
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September 1, 2013
1,176 Posts
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Apr 23, 2014, 1:33 pm

Quote: Originally posted by shyguitar on Apr 23, 2014
Hi everone,

It has been around 8 months or so that I've been keeping myself on a kottery budget and have been feeling good about it. Now there is a new 30 dollar scratch ticket in MA that just came out yesterday with 4 top prizes of 15 million and 36 1 million prizes. This is the most expensive ticket in MA that we have ever had. I rarely play scratch tickets anymore and after reading about this ticket and hearing my co-worker who is a big lottery player talking about it I'm very tempted to play. One of the reasons I had to stop playing scratchers was how easy it was to get addicted to them. Keeping myself on track with a budget had been working out well for me but this tempation to play this ticket could ruin my budget for me. I'm trying to have my realistic side remind me that the ticket run for this game is 25,200,000 and that there are 7,800 retailers selling lottery tickets in my state so the odds of ever winng a jackpot are near impossible. Yet my unrealistic side is telling me to just buy a couple and walk away. The problem is I'm not sure I could just buy a few tickets and walk away. I really want to stay on my budget and just play the lottery occassionally like I've been doing. It makes it tough when my co-worker always brags about how much she wins playing the lottery ( have a feeling she spends a lot to get those wins). Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Higher price tickets generally do have better odds. But if your budget cannot support them and you know you will be tempted to buy a lot, then just stick with lower ones.

I play some high priced tickets but rarely play at all. For me it is skipping 10 tickets for $2 and buying 1 ticket for $20. The odds and the long-term payout for the $20 one is way better. On the other hand, I only get 1 ticket. I don't have a need for frequent play so it's fine with me. So it's all about tolerance.

As far as your coworker....I've seen people brag about breakeven "wins," which is nonsensical....so unless you see proof of tickets, I would ignore such claims. Someone else frequently playing and winning has no bearing on your own luck/success anyway.

If the chances of winning the jackpot are so slim, why play when the jackpot is so small? Your chances never change, but the potential payoff does.
If a crystal ball showed you the future of the rest of your life, and in that future you will never win a jackpot, would you still play?

P&L % = Total Win($)/Total Wager($) - 1
Jon D

Los Angeles, California
United States
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January 5, 2011
1,530 Posts
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Apr 23, 2014, 3:56 pm

Quote: Originally posted by noise-gate on Apr 23, 2014
Couldn't have said it better myself JD.
That's not good advice- that's great advice!
EdG1955

Marana AZ
United States
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August 3, 2013
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Apr 23, 2014, 4:41 pm

The odds are awful on that ticket. One in 25,200,000 chance of winning the $15 million jackpot for $30. If you bought thirty $1 tickets for Mega Millions, you'd have a better chance of winning $15 million. Still almost indistinguishable from 0 chance, but still.
Artist77

United States
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January 16, 2012
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Apr 23, 2014, 5:14 pm

She needs to stop all gambling cold turkey. No offense to her but she posts every few months about her addiction and how she has "cut back." Encouraging her to play at all (and I am not trying to sound like Thrifty...lol) is unfair and possibly detrimental to her in the long run.
shyguitar

United States
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February 1, 2012
530 Posts
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Apr 23, 2014, 5:19 pm

Quote: Originally posted by bigbear29 on Apr 23, 2014
Listen to yourself, you are doing the right thing. 30.00 is alot for 1 lottery ticket. Stay on budget!

Hi bigbear29

Thanks for your response. You're right about 30 dollars being alot. Agree with your statement to stay on be get.