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 2015-05-16, 09:46 #1 ATH Einyen     Dec 2003 Denmark C6716 Posts Eurocrackpot The lottery Eurojackpot which runs in 16 european countries just gave its maximum jackpot of €90 million ($101 million or £64 million) to a single person in the Czech Republic last night: http://news.newsdirectory1.com/euro-...zech-republic/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurojackpot It is crazy so many people (including me sometimes) pay €2 ($2.24 ~ £1.43) for each lottery ticket with a chance of just 1:95.344.200 of winning the biggest pot. They post the number of winners of each prize category each week and from the chance of 1:37.33 of the smallest prize you know the approximate number of tickets bought each week. This time it took 12 weeks and a total of ~ 214 million tickets to beat the 1:95.344.200 odds. Even though it is those insane amounts of money that draw people to this, €90 million euro is way too much for 1 person to win. It would be much better if 90 people won €1 million each. Last fiddled with by ATH on 2015-05-16 at 09:49
2015-05-18, 00:03   #2
Uncwilly
6809 > 6502

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Aug 2003
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Quote:
 Originally Posted by ATH It is crazy so many people (including me sometimes) pay €2 (\$2.24 ~ £1.43) for each lottery ticket with a chance of just 1:95.344.200 of winning the biggest pot.
When our local jackpot gets large, some of our co-workers gang up and purchase a number of tickets. They then abuse the company photostat to make duplicates, so that all contributers can see the numbers and be disappointed at the same time. Every so often I repeat my offer to them. They pay me the same amount as they contributed to the lottery. Then, if they win the big prize (and only it), I will double their winnings (I will pay them the same as the lottery does.) They look at me like I am crazy (mumble under their breath similar thoughts) and refuse to pay me.

 2015-05-18, 01:16 #3 ATH Einyen     Dec 2003 Denmark 52·127 Posts I think of lotteries in different "quirky" ways: If the many world interpretation of quantum mechanics is correct, then there is a universe if not many where I won those €90 million or where I won other lottery millions So maybe I exist in one of those where I eventually will win big. I do not believe in any God but sometimes I wonder if there is a "fate" that has determined what will happen. I mean according to physics there is no moving "now" moment and past and present, there is only 1 big fixed 4-dimensional space-time (read Brian Greene's books or watch the tv shows made from them). So somehow the future already exist somewhere ahead of us in the space-time (so free will is an illusion?) and maybe I'm "fated" to win the lottery, so I better buy a ticket (which is stupid since if I'm fated to win, then fate should make sure I get a ticket.....but maybe that's exactly what fate is doing by making me think these thoughts ) If all there are is math and statistics and no god, fate or many worlds then I should never ever buy those tickets. I will never hit 1:95 million. I have been playing the local state lottery almost every week for over 20 years without winning anything big (odds 1:8.3 million). I should definitely be playing games with better odds (but then also smaller winnings). But on the other hand *some* people do win millions every week around the world (unless all lotteries are scams and no one actually ever receives any money ) What it comes down to is hope. If I do not play then I'm sure I will not win, but IF I play there is always hope. Hope that I live in the right universe or that I'm fated to win, and hope I think is a good thing. (Just don't spend *too* much money gambling) Last fiddled with by ATH on 2015-05-18 at 01:20
 2015-05-18, 13:52 #4 chappy     "Jeff" Feb 2012 St. Louis, Missouri, USA 13·89 Posts There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who are good at math and those who aren't.
2015-05-18, 17:25   #5
davar55

May 2004
New York City

5×7×112 Posts

Quote:
 Originally Posted by chappy There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who are good at math and those who aren't.
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think ninety mil is a lot of money, and those who don't.

2015-05-19, 02:23   #6
LaurV
Romulan Interpreter

Jun 2011
Thailand

230608 Posts

Quote:
 Originally Posted by davar55 There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who think ninety mil is a lot of money, and those who don't.
Well, actually, they are still three. The third group is the PCB layouters (or at least Altium/Protel users). All my colleagues in the office think that 90 mil is a freaking thick PCB track... What do you want to put through it? 300 amperes?

Last fiddled with by LaurV on 2015-05-19 at 02:25

2015-05-19, 18:30   #7
jyb

Aug 2005
Seattle, WA

178210 Posts

Quote:
 Originally Posted by Uncwilly When our local jackpot gets large, some of our co-workers gang up and purchase a number of tickets. They then abuse the company photostat to make duplicates, so that all contributers can see the numbers and be disappointed at the same time. Every so often I repeat my offer to them. They pay me the same amount as they contributed to the lottery. Then, if they win the big prize (and only it), I will double their winnings (I will pay them the same as the lottery does.) They look at me like I am crazy (mumble under their breath similar thoughts) and refuse to pay me.
Perhaps they refuse because they are making a judgment as to the likelihood that you would actually hold up your end of the bargain if they won.

2015-05-19, 20:17   #8
wblipp

"William"
May 2003
New Haven

1001010000002 Posts

Quote:
 Originally Posted by Uncwilly They pay me the same amount as they contributed to the lottery. Then, if they win the big prize (and only it), I will double their winnings (I will pay them the same as the lottery does.)
I'm reminded if the history of Insurance. In particular
the young industry was fraught with fraud and scandal. These ranged from issuing companies that did not actually have the capital to pay claims, running instead like fragile Ponzi schemes

2015-05-19, 23:50   #9
Uncwilly
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Quote:
 Originally Posted by jyb Perhaps they refuse because they are making a judgment as to the likelihood that you would actually hold up your end of the bargain if they won.
If anyone asked, I told them that I would take out an insurance policy to make the payment.

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