# Have You Ever Won A Large Amount Of Money Gambling (Or Through Store Promotions Or Whatever)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859 "2015-02-28T16:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/1 "2015-02-28T16:28:08Z")
Excluding inheritances, legal settlements, and the like, have you ever gotten a large amount of money that you didn’t earn? Say, at the slots, or a state lottery, or you got the right McDonald’s Monopoly™ piece? Define “large” as you will. I’ve won $100 here or there, probably twice in my life, in church-basement bingo. I also won $1000 in the McDonald’s Monopoly™ game when I was 17 (and in 1987, when $1000 was a shit-tastic amount of money, especially to a 17-year-old). I’ve rarely left a casino with more than I started with, and on those occasions it’s been in the $5-10 range. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/2 "2015-02-28T16:31:58Z")
I’ve left a casino with more money than I came with many times. Mostly in the hundreds. A few times several thousand. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/3 "2015-02-28T16:35:01Z")
No. My stocks did fine, but otherwise, no. I won a free nature trip worth 200 dollars once on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/4 "2015-02-28T16:55:38Z")
I’ve won several slot machine jackpots around $1,000 each. However, I keep track of wins and losses, and I’ve lost over $1,000 net on slots. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/5 "2015-02-28T16:57:45Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’ve left a casino with more money than I came with many times. Mostly in the hundreds. A few times several thousand. Me too. One time at the Reno Airport I won $4,000 on video poker while waiting for a flight (royal flush). ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/6 "2015-02-28T17:12:03Z")
$3,000 - $4,000 range a very few times at the riverboat casinos. A couple hundred here and there playing poker with the guys, and one big night where I nearly cleaned out the table a low stakes game for just over $5,000. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/7 "2015-02-28T17:59:45Z")
I won a trip to Curacao once from a raffle sponsored by a car dealership. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/8 "2015-02-28T19:34:15Z")
When I worked for Eastern Airlines in Boston. There was a drawing every year, from those of us who donated to the United Way through our paychecks. I won 2 first class, round trip tickets from Boston to Paris on Swissair. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/9 "2015-02-28T19:39:35Z")
I recently won 60 on a Christmas scratch ticket! Not a lot of money but in all the years I've seen the family get these, I've never seen anyone win anything over 2 or a free ticket! So it felt lucky though I wasn’t rich! Also I once won $600 at the track on a single race! ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/10 "2015-02-28T19:47:49Z")
I won a $350 shopping spree at a toy store when I was in 7th grade. It doesn’t seem like a ton of money to me now, but at the time it was a massive amount. I used most of it to buy my mom a bike (awww) and spent the rest on some games, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/11 "2015-02-28T22:46:28Z")
I won a partial scholarship ($2,000) to college in a raffle back in 1970 and another in a sport good for $1000. Which meant in the end my education after HS to my Masters only cost me about 4 grand out of pocket. Anyone else miss the 70s and really cheap state schools? ---
**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/12 "2015-03-01T00:43:51Z")
I guessed 5/6 numbers in the State lottery when i was about 18 and won a measly $1100. I also won enough in a casino in Vegas to change vacation plans and head to California for a week (instead of losing more money in vegas). I’ve also won $3,100 in the state numbers 2 times in the last 3 years. I also have won the daily number ($500) many, many times. Lest I come across a hardened gamble, I only play the games when I have a dream about numbers, which I then play for about a week afterwards. Never fails. I only wish i could cause these dreams to happen in a big way, but alas no!! Once the number comes out it’s ‘retired’ unless I have another dream about it or another number. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/13 "2015-03-01T01:42:17Z")
I know a person who gambles quite frequently and they’ve actually won tens of thousands of dollars at a time. Personally, I’ve never gambled - I’m anxious enough as it is. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/14 "2015-03-03T15:32:04Z")
I know a very rich guy, friend of a friend, who has his money in stock and a few rental homes. You could say his stocks are a form of gambling, he is always checking the stock market and buying or selling stocks accordingly. On the whole, he seems to play somewhere between even and a slow loss. But on any given day he may tell my friend he has made a couple thousand. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/15 "2015-03-03T15:42:55Z")
I was up $600 playing blackjack on a cruise. Feeling lucky, I took my winnings over to the craps table and lost every penny in 15 minutes without ever even figuring out what was going on. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/16 "2015-03-03T16:24:51Z")
10 grand from a scratch off ticket. Bought a new car. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/17 "2015-03-03T16:29:07Z")
I won 50 bucks in Vegas. I lost 50 bucks in Macau. My net gambling score is thus even. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/18 "2015-03-03T16:33:15Z")
My mom won about $1500 in the state lottery once and I think that was probably the happiest day of her life 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/19 "2015-03-03T17:10:06Z")
I’m not a big gambler, but I’ve won slot jackpots ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars. I never spent more than $100-$200 to get it and I always left with most of it in my pocket. Lotto or scratch cards? Forget it. I’m lucky to get a couple buck winner. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859/20 "2015-03-03T17:12:23Z")
I won $500 at a roulette table at Trump Palace in Atlantic City once. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-won-a-large-amount-of-money-gambling-or-through-store-promotions-or-whatever/713859.md?page=2)