How much does your HH spend annually on lottery tix?

[Recyclersteve]

Since it appears that we may have a lottery prize of over a billion dollars coming up next week, I thought it would be fun to take a poll among RC members to track lottery spending behaviors.

Just for a point of reference Tony Robbins, in his book Money- Master The Game, says the average household in the U.S. Spends $1,000 a year on lottery tickets. He say Singapore spends the most, $4,000 per HH. (pg. 37 paragraph 5)

Please feel free to add remarks and war stories or comments about the biggest prize you ever won. Also, it is fair game to say something like "I spend $2k per year, but my wife spends zero and is totally against it."

Also, if you want to add comments about how much you spend in casinos, that is fair game.

[aloneibreak]

no way the average household is $1000 average ?!?!

i bought into thogeys pool -- first powerball tickets id bought since barrytrots pool here a couple years ago

my inlaws give me 10 scratchers each year as a stocking stuffer

never any wins more than a buck or two

came out $50 bucks ahead the only time ive ever been on the river boats

[Recyclersteve]

I thought $1k per year for the average US HH sounded high, but that is only 10 tix per week.

[johnbrickner]

The $10 I sent Thogey were the first powerball lottery tickets I've ever remember buying and only because my son showed me the payout had passed the odds of winning (> 1 to 1). He now says it's up to around 1 to 1.37 not including taxes, etc. with the $1.3 billion payout. Usually, we buy a few bucks worth for my wife to scratch on Christmas day. Keeps her happy all day and when mama is happy . . .

With the lottery, the odds are just way worse than Vegas, and I typically only bet the don't pass/don't come on the craps table. They get a bit pissy about it when you are the one throwing the dice. But, it's the best odds I've ever found in Vegas. Occasionally, when someone is on a roll I'll piggy back but take my winnings off after 3 maybe 4 straight passes. I find it no surprise the people I think are least intelligent are the one's most into the lottery. Who would bet when the payout odds are 1 to .5?

[TXSTARFIRE]

Gambling used to be illegal in Minnesota. They changed the law and on the first day the lottery was legal I bought 1 $1.00 ticket just to see what they looked like. That is the only money I have ever spent on the lottery and that was probably 30 years ago. Never been to a casino either.

tt

[silverflake]

I bought $2 in Thogeys pool and bought one of my own here. Thats it. I work too hard for my money to flush on lottery. Plus certain dependencies/addictions run in my family. Why risk it.

On a side note on gambling, when i was a kid my parents moved us out of Boston in 1973 to "the burbs" to avoid forced busing. However, every 3 weeks or so my Dad would take my brother and I back into the "old neighborhood" to a barber shop owned by a highschool classmate of my Dads, Italian guy. Talked with hands. Anyhow I always wondered why we drove 15 miles into the city for a haircut when there were plenty of competent barbers where we lived. Well, turns out this guy did more than cut hair. He was a bookie. He took bets on everything: horses mostly. In retrospect, watching my Dad struggle financially in his old age was sad and knowing he was blowing money like that was one of the reasons. The lottery made it easier every year for guys like my Dad to blow their hard earned blue collar money. I often wonder what was worse, organised crime getting Dads money or the state run lottery. Its a vice. Just be careful guys. Its not a lot different than alcohol.

Ok, enough from me. I'd rather stack. You should too.

[Thogey]

The 10 bucks I spent in our pool was the first since it went to 2 bucks. Maybe once or twice a year I'll throw a buck at the AZ Pick.
I love to gamble. But the lottery is such a scam. The mob only took 20 percent for their numbers rackets and that is considered ridiculous.

The state take half up front and then the fed take half again on the back. Winners only get about 20-25 cents!

It's a good thing there is now craps table here. We have two Yavapai casinos a couple miles from my house with live games, but no craps.
I LOVE rollin that candy.

Seriously though. I'm not sure I could handle sudden wealth. Just think, the first thing you do is hire lawyers and security. Your children are immediate targets. What the hell kind of life is that?

[smackvay]

good thing you only asked about lottery tickets
video poker is a whole other monster

Mike

[hobo finds]

It all adds up, many people don't realize how much they spend. A 1$ scratch ticket a day is $365