To think the National Lottery is a scam?

[fustercluckery]

Over the years I've noticed a pattern. If there's a "mega draw" coming up, as there is this Friday, the jackpot won't be won in the draws leading up to it.
Same when it's something like Easter or Christmas - it rolls over so there is a big jackpot around the holiday. It's no skin off my nose as I don't do it any more since they added loads of extra numbers and put the ticket price up, but I noticed this pattern years ago, and I really have come to the conclusion that it's a tax on the gullible.

Also the money goes into the Canadian pension fund coffers.

You've got more chance of getting struck by lightning than winning. That puts the odds into perspective doesn't it.

regardless of the very small odds since they have changed the numbers.... there has been a few cases of posters about a mega draws delivered to news agents whilst there were still 1 or 2 draws to go.

The odd are so low nowadays that I am not even sure they would even need to rig the results, but the whole thing is a bit strange. I don't know if the (huge) profits still go to a Canadian pension fund, but at least someone is still profiting from them

I've heard this a lot, calling gambling a 'tax on the poor/gullible/etc'. I think it is important to make the distinction that any kind of gambling is actually a choice. Nobody is enforcing it.

So how do you think they are fixing it then?

The odds are so much reduced since they added the extra numbers that of course there are fewer jackpots, especially as participation is reduced because of this - ie it's self perpetuating.

I read only a few days ago that they are thinking of making changes again because people are losing interest.

I'd personally be happy with a bigger chance of winning an amount that is life changing but not ridiculously large - eg cap the prize at somewhere between £1 million and £5 million or limit to no more than two rollovers. Beyond that, it's into stupid money territory.

Maybe go back to 49 balls and if no-one has won for a couple of draws, or the jackpot gets to £5 million, share out amongst the '5 and the bonus' people.

Isn't the draw on the Friday unrelated to the ones on Wednesday and Saturday?

So if no-one wins on Friday, they aren't going to win on Saturday or Wednesday because that's a different game, so they want the posters in the newsagents on Saturday to attract the people buying tickets for that night's draw.

There is a reason people call it a stupidity tax (although I see the argument that buying a ticket is just buying a chance to dream). I can't see that they would get away with it being rigged though.

I think it's pretty much impossible to fix. There are lots of checks and balances in place to make sure it isn't fixed.

And yes, it is a profit-making business. That's not something that necessarily bothers us in other areas of life. But the money spent on tickets means that it is able to donate, on average, £30m a week to good causes. Compare that to, say, Comic Relief, which everyone makes a huge fuss about and last year raised £76m.

No bookmakers would be allowed to advertise on TV and to show people winning lots of money on an outside bet.

Yet the Lottery is allowed to advertise by having recordings of people being told they have won a million pounds.

The reality is that with the number changes, you now have a 35 million to one chance of winning the Lottery.

I've been in it since it started, same numbers with 5 of us since 1994. we have had 4 numbers once ( around 85 pounds i think it was back in 2004) . the odd tenner or twenty five pound wins ( about 4 times) and that is it. since they added on the numbers up to 59 we have had less smaller wins , but we.ve been putting it on all these years and not going to stop now. However, i do agree that it feels as if it might be fixed - not sure how and i did read on line once that most of the people that win the big one are all related to the organisers ( quite a bit conspiracy theory there, but nothing would surprise me) i do think its odd sometimes the amount of rollovers as well. its all very odd.

I have no issue about the money business by itself, I am just ensure that all the profits are going to a foreign company, and not a national pension fund or other

ensure? unsure even...

I know someone very close to me who won millions.

It can happen.

In fact, thinking about it, I know of two other people who won about 2 million. One I know personally, one is a friend of a friend.

mumbod, thats nice to hear!
I would love enough for me ( and my friends ) to just pay off the mortgage and maybe the car loan. There was a very young girl on the radio once who won at 16 and she was moaning that it ruined her life - she felt that there wasnt enough advice given to her although she didnt waste it all and is still very rich ( bought up property) so it does have its down side i guess, well, it seemed to for her. The person interviewing her wasnt convinced!

MumBod can I be your friend? It sounds lucky

The one thing that would bother me ( if it was a huge win) was how much to give family ( i have a fairly big family) and i bet it can cause rows and arguments if people think they should get more or someone doesnt get anything etc etc, money doesnt always bring happiness. Also a few big winners on the tv have ended up divorced or broke too.
must cause resentment.

I think money makes no difference to happiness, once you have enough to eat and keep a roof over your head.

Of course some people who win the lottery will get divorced, ill, depressed, etc. Money doesn't create a force field against shit around you.

true enough, but money gives you access to private health care and allow you to semi-retire to allow you to spend time with your kids for example. Money makes life easier. It doesn't stop the shit, it helps you dealing with it.

Slightly off topic but I didn't know about the raffle until I won it, I just thought the ticket price had gone up until I got an email with "good news about your ticket". More of my friends check the raffle bit on their ticket since I won, they hadn't noticed it either.

i agree with Coddiwomple, it does help a lot - especially the health bit and not having to worry about paying the bills. Its a weird thing money, can be the root of all evil, but can also make life a lot easier.
It consumes our whole life really. I wish we could all live without it, but that will never happen of course.

I also think the prize should be capped but more chances for more people to win smaller amounts like 1mil or 5mil.

When its getting to prizes over 30mil its just ridiculous. No one actually needs that amount of money. I reckon 2 million would be the perfect amount. Enough to set you up in a comfortable enough life, but not enough to get into rows about family getting some.

£2.50 a ticket is a frigging joke and we have stopped playing altogether.

I'm with those who think the top amount should be capped at around 5m and there should be more those amounts won. Nobody needs 30m, whereas £5m is life changing enough!

I work in a shop that sells Lottery, Euromillions and scratchcards. Lottery tickets tend to be bought across the board, it's the scratchcards I have issues with...

Looked up at 28% of the money goes to 'good causes' so that's something good any how.

I like the Finnish national lottery and betting company - at least a million euros a day is generated that is given to the ministry of Education to use on amateur sports, arts, science, culture and youth work. Well worth the money spent even if you don't win considering the good that it does. This year its projected to make 1000 million euros in profit that will go directly to the State budget with just over half going to those things and the rest going to health and social care and a bit towards horse breeding.

Also I love scratch cards (all betting - lottery, scratch cards and sports betting etc. are part of the same company here) and its traditional to give people an envelope full of scratch cards at Christmas