They are certainly surprisingly cheap cheep.
5 Likes
It is maybe cheaper than going to mass to pray for a break.
1 Like
Eyes up guardian!
I buy a big $2 ticket when the jackpot’s crazy-big. Not because I think I will win it, but because of the daydream.
P.S. I think I will win it…I just need to check the numbers tomorrow AM
3 Likes
You mean the obvious scam is a scan? Well I’ll be!
Good luck!
1 Like
i like the crossword puzzle scratchies the best
1 Like
One of the local hospital raffles had prizes where the property came with an amount of cash along with it (something like $700k) so if you took the prize you could do stuff too. The all cash alternatives were probably more attractive but if the house suited your needs it would be a good option. Also we don’t pay taxes on the winnings here.
2 Likes
Same in Canada, in case you are elsewhere.
A million is a milion. I notice some lotteries here are now going with regular installments rather than one payment. So no chance to blow it all at once, but the payments seem decent enough for many people, you can live on them.
4 Likes
“Dom - dom - dom - domino Time! Play to Win! Play to Win!”
Fiscal responsibility through forgetfulness. Now this is a savings plan I can get behind.
Or for 1.1m you can have a townhouse in the Outer Sunset district and not be a jaded, sneering fool.
I’ll stick to the Cal Lotto, that way I know for sure I’ll never win.
3 Likes
Someone once suggested to me that winning the lottery was the only chance some people have of getting enough money together to form any kind of retirement savings. When you’re living paycheck to paycheck and all you have to spare is a dollar or two a week, you’re never going to be able to invest seriously, and “a miniscule chance” feels better than “absolutely no chance”.
5 Likes
I vaguely recall some research done in Australia a decade or so ago.
The basic gist of it was, while only about 10% of gamblers have a gambling problem, those 10% problem gamblers provided 90% of the industry’s revenue.
There’s nothing wrong with a relaxed poker game between friends, but as soon as corporate profits get involved in gambling it goes seriously toxic. It’s a predatory industry.
5 Likes
I’m never awarding anyone a house RIGHT NOW
3 Likes
This. If you can’t afford to buy a $10 million house, you probably can’t afford to own one, either. I know I couldn’t; if my house was worth $10 million, I’d be paying roughly $200k a year just for property taxes & insurance. I’d be the very definition of house poor. Absolutely I’d take the cash instead, and use it to buy a house I could afford to own.
4 Likes
Onerous. The fees are onerous, not ominous. Please proofread.
It’s the same in Australia: pay GST (VAT/sales tax) on the bet and the prize is only taxed as part of your total income at the end of financial year.
1 Like
“Ominous” means to induce fear or dread.
The huge fees and taxes scare people into taking the cash instead.
If you get the house, then you have to find enough cash to pay for those fees and charges yourself.
1 Like
