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Why does it have to be so impossible to win the lottery?Reply
Your question should be why do people like to play games they think are impossible to win when there are plenty of local games with better odds and smaller prizes. States join MM and PB because they know their large jackpots will attract players and hope those players will also play the local games. If MM and PB were easier to win then they couldn't generate those large jackpots and without large jackpots there would be no reason for them to exist.
Sep 27, 2015, 8:28 am - RJOh - Lottery Discussion Forum

With PB at 188M and MM at 260M this week, what's the biggest combined PB+MM jackpots we'll see?
So this week is a bit rare in the lotto history it seems since both are at quite high jackpots with PB at 188M and MM at 260M. Some single jackpot records for comparison. Largest single advertised jackpot: MM at 656 million in 2012 Largest MM: 656 million 2012 Largest PB: 590 million in 2013 For fun, had both record PB and MM occured in the same week, it would've been a combined whopping jackpots of over 1246 milion or about 1.2 BILLION dollars. So this week, the c
Jun 2, 2015, 4:51 pm - nist7seven - Lottery Discussion Forum

Florida snags the 80m dollar Powerball JackpotReply
I think we may very well see an end to PB soon. It takes the game way too many draws for its jackpot to be fully funded (on average, it needs seven draws without a winner), so there's too big a risk of winning underfunded jackpots for them. The last three jackpots won were not fully funded, and in the case of the base jackpot, the total payout was even bigger than the dollar amount of sales. Mega Millions is much more realistic, as it usually needs only two draws without a winner for its jackpot
Apr 15, 2015, 7:48 am - ryanm - Lottery Discussion Forum

Now that both PB and MM have ~$40M jackpots
Now that both PB and MM are starting the week with almost identical jackpots and very similar odds of winning MUSL will get a chance to see if ticket prices really matter. For me it does and I will only be buying MM tickets since I'll get twice as many chances for the same price and better overall odds of winning something.
Mar 15, 2015, 1:55 pm - RJOh - Lottery Discussion Forum

'Mirage' jackpotsReply
But the huge jackpots like this week's $450 million prize are actually a mirage. It's amazing that after years of several huge jackpots and ticket buying frenzies, a reporter still believes this is useful information. The story makes it look like only the huge jackpots are mirages and not very accurate about the cash value. I guess they still don't know 25% will be deducted for Federal tax and possibly state tax too.
Feb 10, 2015, 7:12 pm - Stack47 - Lottery Discussion Forum

Powerball is kicking it up-10 millionaires were made tonight!!.Reply
Greed definitely drives part of it, but at the same time I understand their position. States get used to the revenues that come in during and after high jackpot runs. Many states depend on Powerball and Mega Millions alone for 50% or more of their total revenue. I'm not afraid to call them idiots for vesting so much into jackpot draw games though. They really are out of touch with reality and the discussions that take place during conferences are evidence of that. So what has happened is thei
Jan 23, 2015, 3:31 pm - LottoMetro - Lottery Discussion Forum

NJ Cash 5 game to get larger starting jackpotNews Story
By Todd Northrop Starting Sunday, Jersey Cash 5 players will see game changes that will result in larger estimated starting jackpots, more opportunities to win bigger jackpots, and increases in the average match-3 prize paid all for the same $1 ticket price. In response to player demand for bigger jackpots, the New Jersey Lottery raised the Jersey Cash 5 estimated minimum jackpot from $50,000 to $75,000. Match-3 average prize paid will increase from $11 to $15. To support the increase i
Sep 11, 2014, 1:54 pm - Todd - Lottery News

Travel by Missouri Lottery employees under scrutinyReply
Reardon told a Missouri House committee last week that the lottery's payment to education wasn't as high as expected because of factors beyond the agency's control. For example, the most profitable game is Powerball, which had fewer large jackpots last year, depressing sales. Assuming they're talking about the fiscal year 2013 (July to June 2014) there were two huge PB jackpots, both over $400 million. But apparently none of the other jackpots sparked a jackpot frenzy. If the Missouri legisla
Sep 2, 2014, 5:45 pm - Stack47 - Lottery News

$600 MILLION: Biggest Powerball jackpot everReply
When we see 3 bil, 5 bil jackpots, most people won't bat an eye on the little 600m jackpots anymore. I don't see 3 or 5 billion dollar jackpots with tickets at $2 each and this current 5/59 + 1/35 matrix.
May 18, 2013, 3:20 am - whiteballz - Lottery News

$600 MILLION: Biggest Powerball jackpot everReply
as jackpots of this size happens more and more, the frenzy dies down. When we see 3 bil, 5 bil jackpots, most people won't bat an eye on the little 600m jackpots anymore.
May 18, 2013, 2:51 am - yoho - Lottery News