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$70million Lotto Max
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- Start date
TorontoBuilder
Ultra Member
This is my nightmare...
I only play the lotto when the jackpot is over 60 million, and I forget to check tickets all the time. This ticket was sold where I live... I wish they'd say what store it was sold at so I can see if I need to tear the house apart looking for old tickets
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
It's probably me. I have a habit of buying them every once in a while when the jackpot gets that big, then sticking them in my wallet and forgetting about it. I won't tell you guys, but If I start posting new shop build photos, and finished projects that are painted you'll know....
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
My entire family both sides, has payed the "poor tax" their entire lives, playing "their numbers" (birthdays, anniversaries etc....). Fond childhood memories of being sent to the store to buy tickets and smokes with a note from my parents lol.
I only buy a lotto max if it's like 60-70 mil, and if I'm leaning against my car pumping gas after a shit day/week at work and I'm staring at the sign that says "60". Here take my $5, and I'll dream about all the ways I'll quit my job if my #'s hit. Sometimes just the dreaming makes the drivehome from work more enjoyable. They probably don't get more than $30-40 a year from me, and I've certainly spent more on worse. I never play the encore though, even though I know 3 people that have won 1 mill on encore. Crazy odds right? Ex neighbor (spent it all and had to sell house and downsize), guy on my ball team (just retired from gm and bought a corvette C5, then won encore, and bought NEW corvette C7 lol), and a guy that works in the shop next door at work (still works).
The problem is, I never remember to check my tickets. I probably have a few tickets in the car and wallet right now that might be winners. I could have worked the last 6 months unnecessarily lol.
Funny story, we used to have a lottery pool at work many years ago. Everybody was in it, even the owner, except for 2 guys, notoriously tight. The owner used to razz the guys about not being in, because if we won they'd be out of a job because he'd "quit" on the spot too lol.
Sometimes the winner deserves it. Fellow I know won about $500K. Quit his job th next day. Although, to be fair, he drove a septic tank suction truck for McRae Environmental so it probably didn't take too much soul searching for him to make the choice to quit.
You are not alone. Somebody already pooped at the party. See above.
We talk about Scammers here often. My mom was sure she won a lottery, and got scammed out of 30 grand in legal fees to get her winnings. Then she was angry at me and the police for putting a stop to it. It's amazing what people will believe if they want to. Very sad.
slow-poke
Ultra Member
It's a really strange thing, I have a friend that is quite bright and successful. Back when the Nigerian scam started, he got taken, it was so out of character for him. I was really taken back by his mindset at the time. Quick Easy money just seems to cloud many peoples judgment.
Doggggboy
Ultra Member
I've also heard of it referred to as a "math tax"
You only buy tickets if you're bad at math.
I buy them purely for the entertainment value, the ability to dream of that outcome, however slim a chance, dreams are important but it also shows me that with any dream I have I can't just buy a ticket and expect to happen, If I put in the work I increase my chances for it to come true. Thus I feel in a way that I have won the lottery with my career, being able to start at the bottom and dream of being in the position I am in 25 years ago and actually have it come true and be more than I could have imagined and all the benefits I have received and will continue to receive is way more than any lottery win could give me.
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
We always called it the poor tax, but math tax is pretty fitting too. Run a compound interest calculation on a $5 contribution a week for 50 years.....
I always get a kick out of the people that have never bought one in their life, then one day on a whim, pick one up at the grocery store and win multi millions of dollars. Usually the people that say "I'm still going to work, and not much will change, maybe I'll go on a cruise".
I know it's a bad investment. I'll still buy one every few months just to dream though. 60mil tonight BTW......(I haven't bought one yet. We'll see how I feel later when I fill up the car....)
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
Back in college, I had a dream that I won cash for life from a ticket bought at a specific Beckers store in Oshawa. The dream was so vivid and real, the next day I went and bought every single cash for life ticket they had in the store. I didn't win anything lol. Whoever said follow your dreams, probably meant in a more philosophical way.
I think that's explainable. I bet for a reasonable percentage thinking and hoping about winning is the big dopamine rush of the week. Being a decent part of whats going on, and exciting, in the brain, winning is dreamt about and some of them buy tickets and some of those dreamers end up winning.
It is a bad investment, expected value less than the investment. But its cheap entertainment if not taken too seriously.
The harsher phrase is a tax a on stupidity lol. I don't even like them for the entertainment, to bummed out when I lose so I don't partake. Gets my hopes up
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