# Mega Lottery. Buying a ticket? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273 "2012-03-30T14:21:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/1 "2012-03-30T14:21:14Z")
So we have record breaking lottery numbers. Have you or will you buy any tickets? I haven’t yet and can’t decide if I should bother. I know the odds are extreme, but someone does have to win and you can’t win if you don’t play. So, I might. Maybe I’ll toss a buck or two that way. Or not. I don’t know. Can’t decide. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/2 "2012-03-30T14:30:11Z")
Well, I did. I felt really silly about it. I’ve never bought a ticket before, so I went into the convenience store and hilariously felt kind of tacky just going in to buy a lottery ticket, so I also bought some beer. 🙂 The clerk had to explain how to do it. I mean, yeah, it’s dumb, but it was four bucks and somebody’s going to win it. I look at it as four dollars worth of daydreaming entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/3 "2012-03-30T14:30:22Z")
My girlfriend bought 10 tickets yesterday. If I had any cash I’d drop a few bucks on it. Not that either of us expect to win mind you, nor would we know what to do with that much money if we did. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/4 "2012-03-30T14:35:19Z")
I only found out about this last night because I went to buy groceries and the entire front of the store was packed with a line leading to the lottery machines, so I figured it was some huge pot. I found out that it was record breaking this morning when someone at work started a pool. I’ve never played before, but I figure tossing a couple bucks in the pool is worth the entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/5 "2012-03-30T14:35:24Z")
I bought 15 bucks worth of tickets… Two reasons 1. My Schroedinger’s cat lottery theory…today I’m either poor or incredibly wealthy and I get to hang on to the possibility of incredibly wealthy until they “open the box” tonight and that probability collapses. 2. I have an agreement with a friend that if either one of us wins a large (20 mill +) lottery jackpot the other will get a million bucks. Occasionally I feel guilty about this deal as I never play the lottery and I feel compelled to buy a few tickets. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/6 "2012-03-30T14:39:38Z")
I often buy lottery tickets. I always buy when the prize is high. I bought $10 of my own tickets and I am in with a bunch of people from work too. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/7 "2012-03-30T14:53:56Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > … so I also bought some beer. 🙂 The clerk had to explain how to do it. What’s so hard about buying beer? You pick out the kind you want, show some ID and pay. Not so hard. Tell you what, when I win big I’ll buy you a six pack and show you how it’s done. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/8 "2012-03-30T15:02:47Z")
Sure, it’s a half-a-billion bucks, which makes it worth me dropping a five-spot on it. Not like those paltry 10 or 20-million dollar ones. Fuck those loser lotteries and their chump change. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/9 "2012-03-30T15:05:27Z")
I bought two, and I put $1 into the office pool this morning. I’m trying to figure out what I’ll have dipped in solid gold first. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/10 "2012-03-30T15:21:30Z")
use my numbers bring me luck 11,12, 20,21, 33, 32 (super secret mayan prophcy numbers) …crap I now see didn’t play those, must go buy one more ticket… 😛 I will be buying swamp land, brewerys, and RR companies 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/11 "2012-03-30T15:27:11Z")
Hell yes I’m buying a ticket. Several. Plus I’m in my office pool. [Dale Gribble] I can’t win it if I’m not in it! [/Dale Gribble] ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/12 "2012-03-30T15:28:23Z")
I figure the odds of someone else’s winning ticket blowing through the air and landing in my outstretched hand are about as good as the odds of buying a winning ticket, so I’m holding out for the former, as it will be cheaper and involve less work. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/13 "2012-03-30T15:33:20Z")
Sure, why not. It’s only a buck and the amount of fantasy time I’ll get until the drawing crushes my dreams is worth that much. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/14 "2012-03-30T15:49:54Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > Sure, why not. It’s only a buck and the amount of fantasy time I’ll get until the drawing crushes my dreams is worth that much. 😃 It’s cheap entertainment. I’ve already figured out what I’ll do with my $390 million bucks (cash payout) and it’s fun to fine-tune that in my daydreams. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/15 "2012-03-30T15:58:45Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > It’s cheap entertainment. I’ve already figured out what I’ll do with my $390 million bucks (cash payout) and it’s fun to fine-tune that in my daydreams. I’ve never purchased any lottery tickets, and I can dream about what I’d do if I were to ever win the lottery without spending any money on a ticket. I know you can’t win if you don’t play, but the odds against winning are so huge that I figure I’ll spend the buck on something else and just imagine how I’d spend some big bucks if I had them. > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I figure the odds of someone else’s winning ticket blowing through the air and landing in my outstretched hand are about as good as the odds of buying a winning ticket, so I’m holding out for the former, as it will be cheaper and involve less work. Amen to this!😉 ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/16 "2012-03-30T15:59:59Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, I did. I felt really silly about it. I’ve never bought a ticket before, so I went into the convenience store and hilariously felt kind of tacky just going in to buy a lottery ticket, so I also bought some beer. 🙂 The clerk had to explain how to do it. Um, so, uh, how does one do it? ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/17 "2012-03-30T16:11:17Z")
I doubt I would buy one if they were on sale across the street with no line. There was a time I did buy Lotto when the odds were only 14,000,000:1 against. Yes, there is that saying that “you can’t have no ships come in unless you send out some boats.” I have learned that divine providence does not require gambling. Good and bad can come out of nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/18 "2012-03-30T16:14:21Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > Um, so, uh, how does one do it? First you have to lower yourself to the idea of drinking the kind of beer one can buy in a convenience store. 🙂 Then you tell the clerk “I want to buy a lottery ticket” and they have to explain to you that you have to have cash. (I had no idea.) And then they say “You want Mega?” and luckily you remember that’s the name of the game with the half a billion dollars and you say yes, and then they ask if you want the multiplier and you look confused so they say “It means more” and you say “Um, okay?” and they say “One or two?” and you say “Two!” and you give them four dollars and they give you a receipt looking thing that is your ticket. I didn’t even ask about picking my own numbers, as I figured the machine was probably better at it than I. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/19 "2012-03-30T16:16:31Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > It’s cheap entertainment. I’ve already figured out what I’ll do with my $390 million bucks (cash payout) and it’s fun to fine-tune that in my daydreams. So have I. And since I personally know one person who has hit the big prize, and one who has hit 5/5 _twice_, I’m prepared to take one for the team and join them as a winner. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273/20 "2012-03-30T16:27:20Z")
Actually, the megaplier multiplier only counts for non-jackpot winnings. So by paying $2 per ticket instead of $1 per ticket, you would get $1 million instead of $250K if you hit the highest non-jackpot combo, but it won’t affect jackpot winnings at all–you’ll just have to live with the current estimated jackpot of $640 million. I’m a little surprised so many people here and on other threads mention participating in office pools. I like my co-workers for the most part, and can generally trust that if I buy lunch today, they’ll pick it up in the future or whatever–not sure I’d trust them with hundreds of millions of dollars. I guess that’s where the “How to find a lawyer” thread comes into play. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mega-lottery-buying-a-ticket/617273.md?page=2)