Impact of "Free Money" on Lottery Spending

Reply #16

JustMaybe — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:56:58 GMT

I won $8 on Sunday on the MFL game. However, I only play once or at most twice a week instead of MM.

Reply #15

Stat$talker — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:46:57 GMT

Becauze Ya ain't using Probability Math ..ya uzin Black Magic ..which renderz cozmic darkness

Reply #14

Tucker Black — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:53:47 GMT

Zero. I think I'll wait a few more days before trying again.

Reply #13

HoLeeKau — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:41:45 GMT

How'd your luck on those tickets play out? I'm not having much luck at all on Millionaire for Life.

Reply #12

grwurston — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:55:26 GMT

This reminded me of an old joke.

How do you get a bunch of old ladies to cuss like crazy?

Have another old lady yell out, BINGO

Reply #11

JustMaybe — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:23:58 GMT

I hope you win the jackpot with the two tickets you bought.

Just make sure the other Old Fogies don't get wind of your win.

Reply #10

GiveFive — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:43:00 GMT

Just had a thought....

I really do hope I win a million bucks with one of those two extra raffle tickets I bought. That'd really twist some of those old fogies cajones real good if they knew I won a million using THEIR money.

Hell, they couldn't stand it when they saw me puttin' those 40 singles I took outta the pot and put 'em in my pocket. Just think how they'd feel if they heard I put a million bucks in my bank account by using their Left Right Center money. G5... [ More ]

Reply #9

GiveFive — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:35:28 GMT

I'm a mental accounting guy myself.

Last week I won 40 bucks playing a dice game called Left, Right, Center. The Old Fogies that live around here play it at The Activity Center once per month. They get a group of maybe 100 people sitting around tables rolling dice trying to win the pot . Unbelievable how LOUD those fogies start screaming when they start rollin' them bones. From lookin' at 'em, you wouldn't think they had that much life left in 'em. (Not that I aint an Old Fogie myself or nu... [ More ]

Reply #8

JustMaybe — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:16:01 GMT

So many times I fall victim to the mental accounting behaviour.

I have my main job and I do some side hustles. I never play the lottery with my main job earnings, I always spend from my side hustle.

I treat the side hustle as extra income and feel comfortable using that to play the lottery. But at the end of the day, it's all earned income and $10 is $10 regardless of the source.

You have very good points. Thank you

Reply #7

RichW — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:00:30 GMT

JustMaybe brings up a really good question. The data actually backs it up.

During the stimulus check period (2020-2021), US lottery sales jumped roughly 20% year-over-year. That wasn't just bigger jackpots driving more tickets, the spike in sales started within days of each stimulus deposit hitting bank accounts. The timing was too consistent to be coincidence.

There's a well-documented behavioral economics concept called mental accounting , people treat money differently depending on wh... [ More ]

Reply #6

GiveFive — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:06:49 GMT

And that's IF you can buy a homeowner policy. In Florida that's not all that easy to do. Many big insurance companies won't write a homeowners policy in Florida. Those that do, charge big money and in my estimation will fight any submitted claim tooth and nail rather than pay it.

Then there's the hurricane deductible that must be by Florida law included in each and every homeowners policy. It's a separate deductible from a normal deductible. During hurricane season, June1st to November 30th,... [ More ]

Reply #5

JustMaybe — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:58:43 GMT

Please don't remind me of my Millionaire For Life ticket that I bought yesterday.

I matched zero numbers and won a big $0

You are right on the size of cars that people drive just for normal errands.

But you know, grown up men love their trucks , so am not going to start a war that I cannot win by suggesting getting a Nissan Note or the bigger Juke

Running for my life

Reply #4

CDanaT — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:11:43 GMT

While you folks mention consumables, what I just noticed was the House Ins. increase over the last 5 years. It's doubled for us but the cost of the house sure hasn't. Maybe it's gone up 33 - 40% in value.

Reply #3

Tucker Black — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:04:35 GMT

I think it's worse than just gasoline. Higher diesel prices affect the cost of everything you buy.

Unlike food (for everyone) and housing (if you rent, and there's property taxes if you own), much of America's gasoline consumption is optional. Biking and public transportation (which I use) use none, and small cars use less than big cars. When I was a kid in the 80's, everyone drove small cars and no one whined about it.

Yesterday I bought four Millionaire for Life tickets. Rather than 4... [ More ]

Reply #2

JustMaybe — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:53:22 GMT

You are totally right, everything is becoming so expensive.

You forgot gas - the price of gas is now double due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Reply #1

Tucker Black — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:17:39 GMT

Probably not. Food and housing are much more expensive now, and those come first.

Impact of "Free Money" on Lottery Spending

JustMaybe — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:52:32 GMT

During the Covid Era and the ensuing Stimulus Checks, there was arguments that the free money was driving lottery sales and the massive jackpots that we saw.

Fast forward 2026 - with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Tax incentives - no taxes on over time and tips etc, and with the Tax season almost coming to an end, are we likely to see increased spending on the lottery from the Tax Refunds ?

It's the first time in 3 years that I have had a tax refund, I am always paying extra taxe... [ More ]