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• ww3y

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  May 13, 2025, 3:14 pm

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  I'm looking to create an office pool, and there's a lot of avid lottery players. But I'm torn on how we should create this pool. Is it better to have a higher buy-in amount but provide a better payout odds if one of the tickets win? 
  
  Or, is it better to have a low buy-in amount, but the prizes will be split by 10,000 participants? (not sure if I would go that extreme, but definitely a possibility.) I would allow people to buy-in multiple times, but maybe there are some people who would only fork up a small amount and be happy to participate. In return, we could potentially buy more tickets, and increasing the chance of one of the tickets hitting. 
  
  Also, is it more preferable to buy as many tickets as possible (to increase the odds of a ticket winning)? Or, limit the number of tickets, so the payout will be greater? 
  
  What do ya'll think? I think I can get a pretty big office pool going, with a lot of participants. But what would be the right ratio of buy-in and payout ratio? Better to lower the buy-in, and get more participants? or keep it high, limit the participants, but increase the payout amount if someone hits? 
  
  What is your preferred amounts?
• JustMaybe

  

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  May 13, 2025, 4:29 pm

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  I appreciate the work and effort that you have put on the post, however, I feel it's too complicated for me.

  First things first, I would not join an office lottery pool, but this is what I would do.

  Assume an office of 10 people.

  We would first agree on what game to play and  how often.

  For simplicity, we have agreed to play the 3 PB and 2 MM draws in a week.

  For PB, we have the option of the $2 or $3 ticket, let's assume we go with the $3 ticket.

  So that is 3 PB draws a week at $3 a ticket for a total of $9 a week.

  For MM that is 2MM draws a week at $5 a ticket for a total of $10 a week.

  Combined total is $19 a week.

  I have 10 players in the pool, so every Monday morning I get $19 from each, total $190.

  We will then be able to buy 10 tickets of every draw.

  We can then agree if we want to buy multi draws that covers the week or daily and if we are doing QP or filling the slips etc.

  From the options you listed, I don't know what buy in option this is, but it seems to be the easiest way to go about it.

  Have fun and hope the pool wins 🤞

  I believe winning the lottery jackpot is a 💯 % factor of luck.

  May Fortuna, goddess of chance or lot vindicate me.
• winoneday

  

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  May 13, 2025, 5:52 pm

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  My buddy runs an office pool. According to him, you will never get more than 100 people to join. You would be doing well to get 50.

  He has had as many as 100 people join for particularly large jackpots. But he has been doing it for years. As new people join, others give up and quit. Therefore the pool never gets that large.

  But then again, you do not need a big group. Even with only 10 people, you have increased your chances of winning 10 fold.

  Good luck!
• ww3y

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  May 13, 2025, 6:06 pm

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  Hello JustMaybe! Ah, that makes more sense. So we first decide how many tickets each person will be buying, and fork up the amount. Since everyone's buy-in amount is the same, then we all split the money evenly? 
  
  That is more simple and straightforward. But I feel like some people don't want to pay as much, while others would be willing to buy much more. So to accommodate different playing style, I was thinking of creating a payout system based on the dollar buy-in. 
  
  So you can buy in for $1 and get a 1/10,000 payout, or you can buy in for $100 and get a 1/100 payout. I'm thinking that at least we can increase our odds of winning with more tickets, but allow anyone to enter with adjustable buy-in amount. 
  
  Does this seem compelling to you to join? Or, is the simple $X per week still a better option for you?
• ww3y

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  May 13, 2025, 6:09 pm

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  Thank you for sharing that! I was thinking that there would be some attrition, but didn't think about a cap. 
  
  Do you think his office pool could have grown more if people can buy-in for any amount (but get different payout ratio based on the buy-in amount)? I feel like if I keep losing $20 per week, I would stop at one point. But if it's for like $5 or less, I wouldn't mind buying in so I can participate in the conversation of retiring lol.
• Lotterologist

  

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  May 13, 2025, 7:10 pm

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  Something to think about...
• Tucker Black

  

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  May 13, 2025, 7:50 pm

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  Instead of calling it a buy-in, call them entries. If it's a Powerball pool, each entry costs $2. If it's a MegaMillions pool, each entry costs $5.

  If it's a MM pool for a large jackpot, someone can toss in $5 and get one entry, or "invest" $500 and get 100 entries.

  The pool size is the number of entries = number of tickets purchased. You don't need 1,000 people for a 1,000 ticket pool. 50 people each buying 20 tickets would be 1,000 tickets in the pool. Or 1 person buys 1, another person buys 2, one person buys 100, etc., it just adds up to whatever. More tickets = higher chance of winning.

  Should the pool win (jackpot and/or lower prizes), each member of the pool gets a share of the prize money proportionate to their number of entries. For example, in a pool with 1,000 entries (1,000 tickets purchased), of which one person bought 100 tickets, that person wins 100/1000 = 1/10th of the prize money. Someone who entered with just one ticket gets 1/1000 of the prize money.

  I like the idea because it improves the odds of winning from astronomical to somewhat less ridiculous. I would be happy with $1 million as a 1/1000th share of a $1 billion jackpot. In fact I don't want $1 billion because that causes too many problems.
• ww3y

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  May 13, 2025, 8:08 pm

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  Exactly what I was thinking! I like "entries" much more than buy-in! Thank you for the idea! 
  
  As for the concept, you nailed it! Pool prizes are divided up amongst the participants based on their # of entries. 
  
  Now, let's say hypothetically, I could get this pool really big, and I can offer even an entry for $0.01 per ticket (fraction of a ticket). Of course the prize amount will become that much smaller, but would you rather spend $2 for one ticket, or participate in this pool to get fraction of these 200 tickets?
• JustMaybe

  

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  May 13, 2025, 8:41 pm

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  In response to ww3y

  Quote: Originally posted by ww3y on May 13, 2025

  Hello JustMaybe! Ah, that makes more sense. So we first decide how many tickets each person will be buying, and fork up the amount. Since everyone's buy-in amount is the same, then we all split the money evenly? 
  
  That is more simple and straightforward. But I feel like some people don't want to pay as much, while others would be willing to buy much more. So to accommodate different playing style, I was thinking of creating a payout system based on the dollar buy-in. 
  
  So you can buy in for $1 and get a 1/10,000 payout, or you can buy in for $100 and get a 1/100 payout. I'm thinking that at least we can increase our odds of winning with more tickets, but allow anyone to enter with adjustable buy-in amount. 
  
  Does this seem compelling to you to join? Or, is the simple $X per week still a better option for you?

  I would stick with the $X per week. It makes the math a little easier.

  Imagine if this week person A contributed $40, then next week $60, the following week $20 - in short if they have a different contribution each week, that's so much work to keep up with (for me that is)

  The other thing is that we are humans with emotions. If the pool wins the jackpot, the person that contributed $2 will get way less than the person that put in $100.

  But if you win $100M and everybody put in $2, you all get the same upfront amount from the jackpot win (note that however each person's final amount may look different after they file their taxes) that would make it feel fair to all and the pool could last longer.

  I believe winning the lottery jackpot is a 💯 % factor of luck.

  May Fortuna, goddess of chance or lot vindicate me.
• grwurston

  

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  May 13, 2025, 9:32 pm

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  In response to ww3y

  Quote: Originally posted by ww3y on May 13, 2025

  Exactly what I was thinking! I like "entries" much more than buy-in! Thank you for the idea! 
  
  As for the concept, you nailed it! Pool prizes are divided up amongst the participants based on their # of entries. 
  
  Now, let's say hypothetically, I could get this pool really big, and I can offer even an entry for $0.01 per ticket (fraction of a ticket). Of course the prize amount will become that much smaller, but would you rather spend $2 for one ticket, or participate in this pool to get fraction of these 200 tickets?

  Keep it simple. Decide what game or games you are going to play, which days of the week, how much to put in for each drawing. $5, $10... Whatever the amount is, keep it the same for everybody.

  Things to decide.

  1) Who collects the money, and how many days before the drawing. Same person or take turns.

  2) Who makes (prints out) copies of the tickets and hands them out to everyone. Should be the ticket purchaser. It is VERY important that everyone gets their own copies at least the DAY BEFORE the drawing. It will avoid a lot of drama and accusations.

  3) If the ticket purchaser isn't there that day due to sick day, vacation etc, who does it?

  4) What to do if someone doesn't for pay the next drawing for whatever reason. If they are going to be on vacation they can pay in advance, but if they don't or if there's an unexpected day off for whatever reason does someone cover for them, or do they miss out for that drawing. And if you win do they get a share if they didn't pay?

  5) If you win a smaller amount do you divide the amount equally between pool members or do you use the money to buy tickets. Is it in place of or in addition to the normal amount of tickets purchased.

  6) If someone wants to join the pool, they must wait until a jackpot is won in the game. The same with someone that drops out and wants to get back in. It's not fair to pool members who have been paying into it for say 3 months and then someone joins in and gets to share a big win that happens 2 weeks later.

  7) Keep a log book for who pays, when and how much, and when they got their ticket copies each week.

  8) Make a list of the rules and hand them out individually and have players sign saying they received them.

  9) Decide where to safeguard the ticket until you cash it in if you should hit big.

  You need to have these rules in place, because sometimes people can get a little "funny".

  

  List Pick 3 singles by low sums, high sums. Separate each sum row by consecutive pair and non consecutive pair combos. These 3 pair groups. 14 17 47, 25 28 58, 36 39 69 are in 63 combos. 54 combos do not have them. Which sums do the 3 pair groups appear and not appear? Look at root sum groups 147, 258, 369. Play accordingly.
• Brock Lee

  

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  May 13, 2025, 10:07 pm

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   if you have never managed an office lottery pool before i suggest keeping it small with no more than 10 or so of your most reliable buddies. you don't want to involve a bunch of stinkers who won't put in their correct share half the time. also, it ain't gonna be much of a payday if you're splitting a prize a hundred ways. it doesn't matter whether the buy in is $1 or $10, just pick an amount that everyone can sustain on a regular basis.
• PrisonerSix

  

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  May 13, 2025, 10:55 pm

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  I managed an office pool for a few years at a previous workplace. Let me tell you it was a lot of work to run. It was originally me and one other person I shared my office with then another wanted in and another and so on until I think we had around 10 people or so at one point. The way I did it was on payday which was every 2 weeks, each player put in $4 and I bought a mix of Powerball, Louisiana Lotto, and MegaMillions tickets. What I did was I bought multidraw tickets, meaning it covered all 4 twice a week drawings between paydays. This was back when all the tickets were $1 and the drawings were twice a week. It wasn't too expensive and it gave us multiple shots at winning. Small winnings were reinvested into more tickets.

  One time Louisiana was doing a $`1million raffle for $10/ticket. We had $10 in winnings and I put it to a vote of the members if they wanted to try that game and most voted yes so I bought one of those for the pool but again, we didn't win. Whenever I bought tickets, I always scanned the tickets and sent them to all of the members so there would be no issues over if we won. I bought tickets for myself as well but I never bought them at the same time or place I bought pool tickets. Between these two practices, I made sure there was no controversy if one my personal tickets won.

  I knew most of these people closely so if someone was out either another person or myself would put in the money and they would pay me back. I eventually left that job and nobody continued the pool as far as I know. We didn't have a lot of people but it was still a lot of work all the same so keep that in mind if you still want to do it.

  If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

  Prisoner Six
  
  "I am not a number, I am a free man!"
• PrisonerSix

  

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  May 13, 2025, 10:59 pm

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  In response to Brock Lee

  Quote: Originally posted by Brock Lee on May 13, 2025

   if you have never managed an office lottery pool before i suggest keeping it small with no more than 10 or so of your most reliable buddies. you don't want to involve a bunch of stinkers who won't put in their correct share half the time. also, it ain't gonna be much of a payday if you're splitting a prize a hundred ways. it doesn't matter whether the buy in is $1 or $10, just pick an amount that everyone can sustain on a regular basis.

  Good advice.

  Prisoner Six
  
  "I am not a number, I am a free man!"
• Tucker Black

  

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  May 14, 2025, 10:38 am

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  My thoughts:

  Wouldn't it be easier to not run a workplace lottery pool as a subscription? That requires getting people to pay in cash on a regular basis, and you have to deal with people who are out sick or on vacation on the due date, or they're short of cash or whatever. Run it one drawing at a time... whoever wants to enter may enter, they pay in cash for however many entries they want... done.

  The subscription model works for many businesses because you have to give them your credit card. They automatically charge you every month. There's more overhead in this model (rejected charges, un-subscribing, etc.), but subscription businesses will accept the costs because the profit margin is bigger than selling their services one at a time. A workplace lottery pool is not a business and has no profit margin.

  Say it's a Powerball pool and someone wants to participate with 4 entries every drawing for the next 6 weeks. 6 weeks, 3 drawings per week, 4 tickets per drawing, $2 per ticket, is 6*3*4*2=$144. The person hands you $144. You can make entries in a spreadsheet with 4 tickets for each of the next 18 drawings for that person, or if you want to make this easy to carry out, create an Access database to automatically populate a table. Buy the tickets for each drawing with all the pool entries for that drawing, which leaves money in the drawer for future drawings paid for in advance. If the data (spreadsheet or database table) says you should buy 179 tickets for the next drawing, then on the drawing date (or day before, whatever your rules are), you go to the store and buy 179 quick picks, scan them, and e-mail to the participants. 

  If people don't like it when other people have the option to buy more entries, or if people don't like it when more people join the pool for the next drawing when the jackpot gets bigger, well too bad, they can start their own small little pool with fixed buy-ins and bans on new entrants and a commensurately poor chance of winning.

  The whole purpose of a pool is to pool a bunch of tickets for one drawing. It's what the lottery is, pooling all players' money in the country together, except that the lottery itself keeps a big portion for the states whereas a workplace lottery pool runs without any markup (a markup would probably be illegal, as only the government is allowed to charge a profit margin on this game).
• Lotterologist

  

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  May 14, 2025, 1:30 pm

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  When I think of lottery pools, those reports about one of the members refusing to share the winnings with the others come to mind.

  As a wise man once said, "Never trust your enemies and beware of your friends."