I know I should go to town and get one. Too much effort.

Ohhhh, buy one for me please!!! I'd even give up half of it to taxes!!!

Our lottery winnings in Canada are tax-free.

I'm buying some today. It's fun to daydream about. We only play about once a year.

I "liked" your comment Rob. I don't know if you can tell that it was me, or not. Thanks so much for your offer......I'll hold you to it. Hahahhaa. Maybe enough for a dinner? I'm in need of a new-to-me car (not a new one).....hint hint

DH will be getting our ticket today, be nice to win something!

We have our tickets all ready. Keeping my fingers crossed we win something. lol

You got it! A car. Of course, you'd have to meet me in order to get it ;)

Whooohoooo! Nashville here I come! Thanks Robin

Would love to know a BIG lottery winner....somebody HERE win Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease! :0)

Success by association.....ya know....

Miss Robin,

Ya know that I have been your best buddy for the past several months. How about you invite me to dinner should you win more than $50?

Invite you to dinner? I'll come visit you (aren't you close enough to Chicago? I love to play there) on my to visit Jasdip (I'll come pick it out in your hometown unless you're just dying to come south, so you won't have to drive it back). I'll even pay for your dinner with the missus. And my son would be there too. As you can see, he's even part of my avatar (many years ago!).

No lottery here in Alabama :(

It's at $500 million, I have tickets in my hand! I decided to go for it. I don't think I have ever bought any before. Hubby used to on occasion.

Buying lottery tickets is like telling the government "You keep it, I don't want it" if you have a refund on your tax return. Or, if you owe money, it's like sending in more than you owe and telling them "You can keep the extra amount".

I've got nothing against government spending, nor against reasonable taxes, but there's no need to pay more than your fair share. Lottery sponsors keep the buzz going, it's a windfall for them.

Sadly, in many places, too many of the people who regularly buy lottery tickets are those who can least afford it. It becomes a very regressive tax that people at lower income levels bear disproportionately to those with more income. THAT'S my real beef with governmental lotteries.

half a billion..omg...boy what we could do with that...nine grands and prepaid college educations...homes paid for our kids...and dh would love to build inner city soccer fields...me? haven't a clue, lol...

When our lottery hits 30 or 50 mil we often dream/fantasize what to do with all that money. We can't begin to spend it all and that's donating to charities of course. I have no idea how people can even fathom winning 1/2 billion. Crazy.

Dang it! Nothing for me, lol.

I don't buy lottery tickets too often, but when I do, it's usually one or two. Part of the fun is fantasizing what I would do if I won.

There's a winner in Texas!

yep, it wasn't me. I've fantasized so much, I realized, I'd do my family and friend giving away and buy what I wanted, sock some away, and then... create a foundation where people, charities, etc. could apply for gifts. That's how I'd do it. If someone came to me, I'd send them to the foundation, even if it was a long lost relative.

I have never purchased a lottery ticket in my life. With the money I saved from buying the tickets and interest earned, may be it equates to a mini lottery win?

Dh and buy when the lotto hits 50 million.....also fantasize how we would spend it, and then figure a couple of million would be more than enough to fulfill what we want to do. The million dollar bonus draw would suit us just fine. LOL

Doesn't it make more sense to buy a ticket when the jackpot is 50 million, than when it's 500 million ... and there are five times as many tickets sold?

Wouldn't you be wiser to settle for 50 mill rather than having one-fifth the possibility of winning the 500?

Question: "What's a government-operated lottery?".

Answer: "A voluntary tax on the stupid".

And - dang - our provincial gov't., that's darn near broke, and has been managing some in casinos or by tickets ... is getting into the online game.

When you play cards in a casino ... you can see how the dealer operates ...

... but when you do it online ... how can you know that the dealer can't see all of the cards ... and plays whatever suits him (surely not a "her")?

ole joyful ... the financial adviser who never buys lottery tickets ...

... (but won about $10.00 years ago when they gave them free with gas purchase of a given amount: same gas, same price as elsewhere).

I think there's a big difference between people who spend a few bucks on a big jackpot as a form of entertainment, and people who use the lottery as an income generator and put whatever money they do have towards it.

I was just reading an article of the single mother in NC who was one of the winners. Most of the comments said that the first stupid thing she did was show her face and come forward.

In Canada, you have to agree to be part of the advertising when you win. The winners are always all over the news, and The Lottery Corporation holding the huge cheque with their name and the amount won.

Do you have anonymity in the U.S.?

It varies by state. Only a few states allow you to remain anonymous. I think they all should given how winners are harassed sometimes.

If your relatives ... friends ... etc. can't help you find a place to hide ...

... there's a little house up the road that's been empty for a while ...

... and I'm pretty sure that ole joyful could keep his mouth tightly closed (improbable as that might seem on the surface).

o j

I don't buy them, but I know what I would do with it, if I did and won. Everyone I know and people I meet would be very lucky. I love helping people and have bought 5 pc's for other people. I love to see the joy on their faces. When I suggested buying computers for our kids that still had small children, my husband said, "I don't understand you at all. You don't like loaning them money, but you buy $800. computers for them". I told him there is a big difference in a loan and a gift. Our children were never in need, they were constantly in "want". I felt it was very important for children to have them.