# What's up with old people playing the lottery? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857 "2016-01-11T23:10:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/1 "2016-01-11T23:10:17Z")
Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/2 "2016-01-11T23:16:02Z")
Coke and whores, same as the rest of us? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/3 "2016-01-11T23:31:49Z")
What a truly odd question. Is there a cutoff age at which people should just give up, or is it a sliding scale where you can only play for smaller and smaller prizes as you age? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/4 "2016-01-11T23:51:13Z")
Set up college funds for her grandchildren? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/5 "2016-01-12T00:06:02Z")
Whatever she wants. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/6 "2016-01-12T01:01:45Z")
Cover her medical bills. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/7 "2016-01-12T01:11:16Z")
She can spend about $1.3 million a day for the rest of her life. I know, I know, after a lump sum and taxes it will be something like a measly 300 grand a day. So I see what you mean, hardly worth the effort. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/8 "2016-01-12T01:24:07Z")
I just had my 79-year-old mother on the phone. I should have asked her if she played the Powerball. Sheā€™s not really into the lottery, but she loves to gamble, so I think she might play just for the fun and excitement, even if she would only be leaving the money to her children. But she still enjoys traveling, going to the theater, etc. Sheā€™s been talking about downsizing in terms of not buying so much stuff anymore, so she probably wouldnā€™t blow it on things, but I can definitely see her spending money on cool experiences, not to mention treating family and friends. Also, whoā€™s to say she has 2.7 years left? Her mother lived to 94, which would be a good 15 more years of extravagance. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/9 "2016-01-12T01:30:41Z")
Buy a nice apartment in a place with onsite medical staff and physical therapists. Maybe a nice warm therapy pool. Maybe a private therapy pool. Go on a cruise. Go out to dinner a lot. But some non-old lady clothes and get them tailored to her frame. And attractive comfortable custom shoes. Maybe purchase a little more attractive company than 80 year old Morris. Get a thorough physical and genetic work up and some fancy medical treatments not covered by insurance. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/10 "2016-01-12T01:36:12Z")
Playing the lottery isnā€™t about investing with a series expectation of return; it is about having a tenuous reason to dream about what you would do with such a large sum. That is just as appealing for someone near the end of their life, perhaps even moreso for being able to leave a legacy to family and community. Consequently, winning the lottery isnā€™t about receiving a large sum of incidental money and distributing it wisely and generously. It is usually about spending frivolously while being besieged by all manner of gold diggers, opportunists, and hucksters preying on the winnerā€™s gullibility and unearned sense of entitlement, hence while a surprising portion of big lottery winners end up in about the same conditions that they were in before they won. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/11 "2016-01-12T01:37:53Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? She could marry me, for starters. That kind of money definitely meets my man-whore-servent price. 10% of her take for me in a prenup, and Iā€™d make sure sheā€™d gladly have paid double. Wouldnā€™t even need Viagra, with that kind of money. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/12 "2016-01-12T02:13:45Z")
Her money is good in any store on the street, just like yours. Are you really saying that you want to start shopping in places with signs that read ā€œNo \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Allowedā€? ---
**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:** [January 12, 2016, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/13 "2016-01-12T02:38:38Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? Back before we had the legal lotteries, Gramma used to play the Old Stock with a bookie for like 10 cents a day. If she ever hit it was something else she could squirrel away for ā€œus grandkidsā€. Iā€™m guessing people, old or not and ladies or not, still sometimes think the same. Besides ā€“ based on some of the stories Iā€™ve seen, Mabel may be broke again before she dies. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/14 "2016-01-12T02:42:56Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? My grandfather lived to 102, and my aunt will turn 102 in five months. If they had won at age 80, they would have built giant fences around their houses to keep whippersnappers like you off their lawns. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/15 "2016-01-12T02:46:18Z")
My uncle in California will turn 96 this year and is going strong. In fact ā€“ and I swear Iā€™m not making this up ā€“ he went ziplining on the Hawaiian island of Kauai last year. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/16 "2016-01-12T02:47:00Z")
Sheā€™d finally be able to afford all those black market virgins that she could drain of essence to finally become immortal. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/17 "2016-01-12T03:00:39Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? Stop worrying about how to pay for her prescription drug coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance. I live in a neighborhood with a high percentage of elderly. It would relieve the pressures of being on a fixed income. Then they talk about leaving the rest to their family. None of them talk about completely uprooting their lives and making massive changes. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/18 "2016-01-12T03:18:33Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > ā€¦ Mabel may be broke again before she dies. But sheā€™d be the happiest corpse youā€™ve ever seen. (At least if she meets up with Voltaire) ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/19 "2016-01-12T03:32:11Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? really, you couldnā€™t think of something to do with 1.3B in a 2.7 year period.:dubious: ---
**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:** [January 12, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857/20 "2016-01-12T03:43:44Z")
> [@Cardboard](#): > > Seriously, what is 80-year-old Mabel going to do with a $1.3 billion Power Ball victory with the 2.7 years she has left on earth? > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Coke and whores, same as the rest of us? Iā€™m not sure how long $1.3 billion dollars would last in the Sin City of Pattaya. An acquaintance was sure he had enough to live on for 20 years, but he made the mistake of settling in Pattaya. He was broke and heading home in just two years. But it was one helluva two-year period. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-old-people-playing-the-lottery/742857.md?page=2)