Who's buying Mega Millions tickets?

[Contraflow]

I'll be honest, I haven't read any horror stories about other past big $$$ lottery winners being robbed or facing non-stop harassment. I've read about them blowing their money in a short time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Whittaker_(lottery_winner)#Legal_.2F_personal_problems

http://finance.yahoo.com/photos/athletes-who-ve-lost-millions-slideshow/

I put an extra $20 into my ROTH today instead of playing some silly contest. I believe lottery to be nothing more than a tax on the poor. The Majority of ticket buyers are poor/low income.

 

[Jennasis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Whittaker_(lottery_winner)#Legal_.2F_personal_problems

http://finance.yahoo.com/photos/athletes-who-ve-lost-millions-slideshow/

I put an extra $20 into my ROTH today instead of playing some silly contest. I believe lottery to be nothing more than a tax on the poor. The Majority of ticket buyers are poor/low income.

We do put money into our retirement/savings (much much more than I will ever spend on lottery tickets). If I buy a ticket once a year, that would be a lot.

One wikipedia entry does not a trend make. Your other link was to a yahoo article about ATHLETES who have lost millions.

 

[Contraflow]

One wikipedia entry does not a trend make. Your other link was to a yahoo article about ATHLETES who have lost millions.

Being an athlete who is suddenly paid multi-millions is the same as winning the lottery. Just because you haven't read about lottery winners facing robbery or non-stop harrassment doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. You were shown just one example of the hundreds of sad stories of lotto winners.

Here are some more that DO show a trend:

http://news.yahoo.com/terribly-sad-true-stories-lotto-winners-164423531.html

 

[Jennasis]

Being an athlete who is suddenly paid multi-millions is the same as winning the lottery. Just because you haven't read about lottery winners facing robbery or non-stop harrassment doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. You were shown just one example of the hundreds of sad stories of lotto winners.

Here are some more that DO show a trend:

http://news.yahoo.com/terribly-sad-true-stories-lotto-winners-164423531.html

Evs. For a $1, I'll take the chance. Thanks for the cautionary tales...hopefully whoever wins will make wiser choices than the drug addicts, gamblers and other losers named in the story.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Me and the 10 people in line in front of me. :LOL:

 

[jujube]

There have been, are, and always will be people who cannot manage their money whether it's their paycheck, an inheritance, or a lottery jackpot. Budgeting is important no matter how much or how little money a person has.

 

[Andrea]

i have had the news on most of the day and i am so shocked about how much money people are spending. one person spent 1,000.00 on tickets... hello that's my disney trip lol

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Put $5 down while I was at the grocery store. But I don't get the stories about the big lines. There were two people in front of me. Not exactly a stampede.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

I put money in with co-workers for tickets. I know the odds are insanely against us but if all of my co-workers won and I was the one left working there I would be beyond upset.

 

[Fortuosity]

I had Chinese the other day and my cookie read: You will be coming into a fortune. I guess you are all just wasting your dollars hoping to win what's destined to be mine.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I bought one because I figured if I'm meant to win, this will be the ticket.
I'm laughing about the heart attacks because for a few seconds today, I thought, "If I win, I might have a nervous breakdown." Then I felt better because I knew that if I did, paying for treatment would not be a problem.

And you could have had your own private padded cell in your house.

FYI.....14. Can a Mega Millions jackpot winner claim the prize anonymously?

In MD you can.

Put $5 down while I was at the grocery store. But I don't get the stories about the big lines. There were two people in front of me. Not exactly a stampede.

I think it depends on the store. I bought my ticket for last Tuesdays drawing at the convenience store up the street from my house which is always busy and there was a big line. For Friday's I stopped at a liquor store and there was no one.

I woke up early Saturday morning to a text from my BFF telling me that if I had won I better not hold out on her. I guess she heard about the MD winner but didn't know that it wasn't in our county.

 

[jujube]

And you could have had your own private padded cell in your house. ....

Yes, it would have pink silk upholstered walls.