Should I stop playing the Lotto?

UCDCritic · 29-03-2014 10:17PM #1

I've been thinking about this for a while.

I spend 12 - 15 euro a week on the euro millions.

It's been about a year since I last won anything and that would be 4 euro.

The largest amount I ever won was about 5 years ago and that was around a 100 euro.

I'm starting to feel like I should just give up the fantasy.

If I saved that money at the end of a year I would it would add up to a nice little some of money. I reckon I've spend thousands on it over the years.

But each Tuesday and Friday I feel if I don't play this could have been the time I won.

I feel torn.

Please advise.

Cantremember · 29-03-2014 10:17PM

Free at last thank god almighty free at last

GoldFour4 · 29-03-2014 10:18PM

Well they do say the lottery is a tax on stupid people.

You appear to have realised this OP, well done.

**Timbuk2** · 29-03-2014 10:18PM

All you need is a basic understanding of probability to know you should never play the lotto.

So stop.

Sir Arthur Daley · 29-03-2014 10:18PM

If you are not in you cannot win as they say.

smcgiff · 29-03-2014 10:18PM

It's not called the idiot tax for nothing.

December2012 · 29-03-2014 10:18PM

Spend it on Prize Bonds instead. You could still win and you can cash them in when you need to.

Spunge · 29-03-2014 10:19PM

Should just invest that money into something instead and watch the charts for the craic.

BBDBB · 29-03-2014 10:21PM

cut your "investment" in the lotto by half and save the other half for that nest egg

allthedoyles · 29-03-2014 10:22PM

Put your next €15 into Paddy Power account and play Casino Jackpots .

It could be you !

Capt'n Midnight · 29-03-2014 10:25PM

WikiHow wrote: »

If you are not in you cannot win as they say.

If luck is not involved then it's a very low return on investment.

If luck is involved then you only ever need to buy one ticket.

if you believe internet statistics 80% of Russian Males born in 1923 did not survive WWII so you'll need to explain luck and 90% of the population of Paraguay died in the "War of the Triple Alliance."

So yeah , explain how luck works ?

Rasheed · 29-03-2014 10:28PM

Play my club lotto. €50 for the year, the jackpot is €3,500 and I'll let you peak at the women in the dressing room.

Stained Class · 29-03-2014 10:28PM

I worked in a place many moons ago that had a Lotto syndicate.

I joined. Sure 'twas only a couple of quid a week. Did it for years & won sweet FA.

When I left that job I still paid into the syndicate for a couple of years after.

I was petrified that I'd see my ex-collegues on the front page of the local paper after they scooped the jackpot!:eek:

Never happened though.

cold case · 29-03-2014 10:28PM

I was spending €16 per week on lotto. Gave up over 5 years ago, after agreeing that if our numbers came up, then we were not meant to be rich!!

I keep checking for our numbers and apart from a few €5 here and there, we have saved over €4,000 so far.

eoins23456 · 29-03-2014 10:29PM

Stop playing. The odds of winning the euro millions are ridiculous. Save up for something maybe or buy a few cans

CarrickMcJoe · 29-03-2014 10:29PM

Depends if you use the same numbers every week. I remember my old boss crapping himself when he forgot to do his lotto cause he used the same no's since it began.

zenno · 29-03-2014 10:31PM

My dear comrade, I have been doing the same numbers on the Irish lotto for around 16 years and never missed a wednesday or saturday, and the most I won was 57 euro. I spend €12 per week on it. But my time will come :pac:

It's all a load of garbage, but there again my annoying friend on my right shoulder keeps telling me to carry on, because if I stop now, and my numbers came up I would feel like manure. The kind nice guy on my left shoulder just says... Ah man it's time to awaken and see the light of idiocy spending cash on it as you won't ever win... it's millions to 1.

Looks like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place with these two arseholes.

Mezcita · 29-03-2014 10:32PM

High street bookies give much better odds of getting a few numbers.

MJ23 · 29-03-2014 10:33PM

Save up the money and buy a blow-up doll.

zenno · 29-03-2014 10:36PM

MJ23 wrote: »

Save up the money and buy a blow-up doll.

I'm allergic to rubber unfortunately.

CarrickMcJoe · 29-03-2014 10:53PM

I do a 4 euro quick pick whenever I think of it. Got 5 numbers twice. €380 first time(was one number away from £820,000, I had 16, it was 17) and €2,500 the last time (nice on a Monday morning).

biko · 29-03-2014 10:55PM

Spend the money on drink instead. At least it gives you a good reason to feel crap the next day.

PizzamanIRL · 29-03-2014 10:55PM

UCDCritic wrote: »

I've been thinking about this for a while.

I spend 12 - 15 euro a week on the euro millions.

It's been about a year since I last won anything and that would be 4 euro.

The largest amount I ever won was about 5 years ago and that was around a 100 euro.

I'm starting to feel like I should just give up the fantasy.

If I saved that money at the end of a year I would it would add up to a nice little some of money. I reckon I've spend thousands on it over the years.

But each Tuesday and Friday I feel if I don't play this could have been the time I won.

I feel torn.

Please advise.

Don't be stupid.

Increase your spending to €25 and play the Daily Millions and the National Lottery too. Maybe even the Spanish Lottery.

wretcheddomain · 29-03-2014 10:59PM

UCDCritic wrote: »

I've been thinking about this for a while.

Please advise.

Think about this for a while instead.

Imagine you were sitting down at a machine with two things: a big red button and a screen.

You're told before the game begins that you've a 1 in 116,531,800 of winning the jackpot; the only thing is you have to pay €12 to press the red button to see if you've won.

Would you continue to press the big red button?

zenno · 29-03-2014 11:03PM

Here goes. Just about to check my numbers again for the millionth time, fingers crossed, but to be honest, I feel like my whole body is contorted at this stage

Probably another €3 scratchcard.

You pay real cash to play, so you should win cash if you win, not a scratchcard.

wretcheddomain · 29-03-2014 11:05PM

zenno wrote: »

Here goes. Just about to check my numbers again for the millionth time, fingers crossed, but to be honest, I feel like my whole body is contorted at this stage Probably another €3 scratchcard.

We should have scratchcards with politicians heads buried beneath the grey part - their head being divided into 9 parts; if you reveal all 9 parts and hence the politicians face then you win a prize. If you found Enda Kenny you win €5000 but if you found James Reilly you win a packet of cigarettes etc.

Cienciano · 29-03-2014 11:06PM

Keep doing it, but just buy one line, or the smallest amount available.

Capt'n Midnight · 29-03-2014 11:06PM

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

Don't be stupid.

Increase your spending to €25 and play the Daily Millions and the National Lottery too. Maybe even the Spanish Lottery.

You don't even need to buy tickets for the Spanish Lottery :rolleyes:

If you win anything someone will let you know.

cerastes · 29-03-2014 11:09PM

Rasheed wrote: »

Play my club lotto. €50 for the year, the jackpot is €3,500 and I'll let you peak at the women in the dressing room.

Its bad enough doing the lotto, thankfully, I only do it rarely from time to time, Ive no luck at it, but but I'd be concerned about playing club lotterys more, chance of the funds being re-directed.

zenno · 29-03-2014 11:11PM

wretcheddomain wrote: »

We should have scratchcards with politicians heads buried beneath the grey part - their head being divided into 9 parts; if you reveal all 9 parts and hence the politicians face then you win a prize. If you found Enda Kenny you win €5000 but if you found James Reilly you win a packet of cigarettes etc.

I'm a bit out there at this moment in time, but I am struggling to imagine something relating to your prognosis and characteristics of said comment

The last thing my brain needs now is scratching scratchcards with a politicians jigsaw puzzle scenario.

Just checked my numbers there. nothing---zero. until next time.

A true optimist.

Or just braindead

cooperguy · 29-03-2014 11:11PM

I dont know why you are spending so much on it anyway! The odds of winning are tiny so just buy 1 line. The difference between a chance of 1 in 8,145,060 and 2 in 8,145,060 is so small why would you bother spending the extra money.

Should I stop playing the Lotto?

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