# No, I Don't Wish To Participate In Your Lottery Pool: In which I Pit my cow-orkers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016 "2005-03-30T23:28:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/1 "2005-03-30T23:28:00Z")
No, I don’t care to participate in your lottery pool. Yes, I’m aware that the lottery is at $60 million. No, thank you, I still don’t care to throw in. Yes, I know it’s only five dollars, twice a week. Again, no thank you. I don’t wish to take part. Yes, I understand that everybody else is doing it. No, I am not interested. Yes, I’m sure I’ll be sorry _when_ you win and quit while I still have to work. No, as I said before, I don’t really care to pay in. Why not? Because I have better things to do with the money. What? Well for starters, I can spend the five bucks on a beer. Yes, I know how much (hypothetical) beer a (hypothetical) lottery jackpot could buy me. I also have a minor in mathematics and can therefore calculate the probability of your pool of tickets winning. No, there is no way to improve your odds other that buying more tickets. Yes, I know my five bucks would buy more tickets, but that doesn’t significantly improve the odds of winning in comparison to the number of possible combinations. Nope, still not going to play. Sorry you feel that way. Okay, you do that. Yes, I know you’ll gloat at me _when_ your number comes up. Bye. What is it now? No, I’m not interested in participating in your basketball pool… Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/2 "2005-03-30T23:32:31Z")
Seriously, wouldn’t you be really peeved if they did win? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/3 "2005-03-30T23:41:07Z")
Just answer them, as I do, “I don’t believe in gambling.” ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/4 "2005-03-30T23:46:47Z")
Fair enough. I get pissed off because I am in one of these things, but the woman who runs it doesn’t invite me every week (I think she sees me as a kind of filler when others are away) and I’m paranoid enough to think they’ll hit the jackpot one week I’m not in it. Actually, I don’t mind going in it. I wouldn’t even know how to fill out the ticket if I were to go to the newsagent and do it myself (and I’d never get around to it anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/5 "2005-03-31T00:06:15Z")
I don’t mind office pools for basketball or football. The odds aren’t so bad on those. And where I worked once, all the hourly workers were gonna stick it to the office hands. So they got up a lottery pool. They kicked in money for weeks, waiting on that big payday that never came. Not even a small payday. Since they always put in money and never won more than $5 on like $75 worth of tickets, they accused the guy who was in charge of the pool of taking all the “winners”. Yeah, right. He was was still working, must have been keeping his winnings secret. In the meantime, my mom hit 5 out of 6 for $1800 or so. She had to go claim the winnings at the nearest Lotto office, and brought me back a Tee shirt that only Lotto winners got. Yeah, I wore that shirt to work. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/6 "2005-03-31T00:25:10Z")
**Stranger** , do you happen to work in Brea? I was laid odd 2 months ago, and I’m _still_ in the lottery pool. If those guys won without me, I’d have to shoot myself. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/7 "2005-03-31T00:26:09Z")
Oh, this is a pet peeve of mine! I work with supposedly bright people. They should have some math skills. No, I really don’t mind other people playing. It’s the pressure I mind, like I’m not “one of the team” because I don’t throw $5 away each week. I do like the basketball bracket pools! Half the fun of that is picking my teams. Plus, it gives me someone to cheer for in every game. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/8 "2005-03-31T00:30:28Z")
We had a lotto pol at work once when it got up there. The person collecting the money asked my co-worker if he wanted to kick in the $5. His answer was a clasic > [@](#): > > Hell yes, if you guys win do you think I want to be here tomorrow all by myself answering the phones saying “Yes I’m still here, no I didn’t kick in the $5, yes I’m pissed about it”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/9 "2005-03-31T00:38:31Z")
Just tell them you’re in Gambler’s Anonymous as part of a plea agreement stemming from a felony assault on the last person you pooled with. Then get an evil look and say “I fucking _hate_ to share money.” That should keep you out of any pools. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/10 "2005-03-31T00:41:47Z")
One nice part about working for a bank is that football pools, lotto runs, and anything else that smells even slightly like gambling is utterly, expressly, get your personal items, you’re fired on the spot forbidden. Makes for not having to come up with ways to repel these people. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/11 "2005-03-31T00:47:23Z")
**gotpasswords** , forgive my ignorance, but why is that? You can’t even organise a pool in the staff cafeteria on your breaks? Why does the bank care if it’s nothing to do with their money? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/12 "2005-03-31T00:52:41Z")
Logically, your argument makes perfect sense. The odds of winning the lottery are miniscule, and your $5 could be used for something that will definitely yield something valuable rather than a long shot hypothetical value. However, if your lottery pool does hit it big, none of this logic will be any comfort to you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/13 "2005-03-31T01:01:03Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > I was \*\*laid odd \*\* 2 months ago, and I’m _still_ in the lottery pool. :eek: Nice hijack. Like the tie in though. > [@spooje](#): > > If \*\*those guys \*\* won without me, I’d have to shoot myself. [/quote] Now you’re just bragging. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/14 "2005-03-31T01:18:37Z")
I’ve never really been tempted to play the lottery while I’m gainfully employed. First I enjoyed my work, and secondly, I had better things to do with my money - which was more than I needed for my needs, really. Fortunately, I had cow-orkers who would accept a ‘no, thank you for inviting me.’ I was only asked the once by the guy running it. And if they had won while I kept working, I would have been thrilled: Automatic promotions, baby! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/15 "2005-03-31T01:23:37Z")
I suppose calling it the “stupidity tax” when they approach you would be right out then. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/16 "2005-03-31T01:52:10Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > Yes, I know it’s only five dollars, twice a week. > > Stranger Five dollars, twice a week? That is a lot. That is approximately equivelent to 40 dollars a month. Things that have a high degree of “payoff” and significantly more usefullness in my life that cost 40 dollars or less a month: **Cellular phone service** : $39.95 a month. Allows me to communicate with people world-wide. **Broadband (cable) internet service**: $40 a month. Again, allows me to communicate with people world-wide and search for, well, academic and research databases. **Automotive Gasoline (even with elevated prices**): Approximately $36 a month (I don’t drive very much or very far to work/school). Allows me to go places without walking or taking the bus. Also, I can store a great amount of groceries in my vehicle. **Milk** : $27 a month. I consume about one gallon of milk in 3 days. More if I bake. Advantage: milk tastes good. **Fruity Pebbles** : $16 a month (one a week). Fruit Pebbles taste good and supply me with 8 essential vitamins and minerals by USRDA standards. **$40 dollars a week burning a hole in my wallet** : even this is more productive than buying lottery tickets. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/17 "2005-03-31T02:06:25Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > **gotpasswords** , forgive my ignorance, but why is that? You can’t even organise a pool in the staff cafeteria on your breaks? Why does the bank care if it’s nothing to do with their money? It may be different for **gotpasswords** , but I suspect it’s the same reason any bank is like this. My wife worked at one for years and it was the same there. _ANYTHING_ that even hinted at gambling was banned. The reason being gambling opens the door to theft to pay off gambling debts. I’m feeling generous to hamster health so I won’t post a bunch of cites, but a quick search with the right keywords will bring up thousands of cases of people being convicted of embezzling to pay off gambling debts. In fact, more often than not, if you apply for any job in a bank your credit score better be pretty good. If you’re missing payments and carrying a high level of debt, the bank will see it as opening their doors to a huge amount of cash that they see as desperately needed by you. They will not risk the temptation. Sorry for the mini hijack, **Stranger** ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/18 "2005-03-31T02:19:33Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Sorry for the mini hijack, **Stranger** No worries. That was a very informative and astute response. I don’t object to the gambling; I’m just tired of being pressured once or twice a week to participate. After I’ve said “No” a few dozen times you’d think they’d get the message, but no such luck. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/19 "2005-03-31T20:43:49Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > **gotpasswords** , forgive my ignorance, but why is that? You can’t even organise a pool in the staff cafeteria on your breaks? Why does the bank care if it’s nothing to do with their money? It’s not the bank’s money, but the [OCC](http://www.occ.treas.gov/) (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency - a Federal organization) takes a dim view of it. And whenever the OCC takes a dim view of something, someone generally winds up in handcuffs. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016/20 "2005-03-31T20:45:27Z")
\*Five \* dollars? \*Twice \* a week? If I could carelessly throw away $10 a week I probably wouldn’t care about the Lottery! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-i-dont-wish-to-participate-in-your-lottery-pool-in-which-i-pit-my-cow-orkers/297016.md?page=2)