To give up playing the lottery?

[PassingStranger]

I buy an occasional ticket and have done since It started.
I always expect to win, but never do.
Shall I give up now?
To those that buy a ticket do you always expect to win when you check your ticket and then feel massively disappointed?🙄

It's a (slightly inefficient) way of supporting good causes which it would otherwise be hard to support directly.

And there's the bonus that you might win something. But the expected payoff is negative and the prize pool heavily skewed to the top prizes, so the vast majority of people will lose. If winning is more important to you then buy some premium bonds - at least you get to keep your stake.

I always think it's odd when people say they are playing the lottery. It's not much of a game. If there was actually a game to be played, it might be more reasonable to keep "playing".

As it is, you do the lottery. And doing the lottery is a mug's game. Of course you don't win. Almost no-one wins anything of value. It's a lottery. That's how they work.

In my job I sell hundreds of pounds of lottery and scratchcards every shift.
It's opened my eyes to what a swiz it really is. And the fact that those who spend the most are the least financially able to makes it sad too.

I only used random numbers and gave up playing the lottery years ago.

Husband has used the same numbers since the start and still plays twice weekly.

If everyone stopped playing the lottery there would be no funding for my post !

I only buy one occasionally.

Chill out.
Playing, doing it, dosent matter.

I buy premium bonds instead, you can still win but the money isn’t lost if you don’t, you can get it back any time.

I do about £10 a month. Can afford it. For me it’s one of my favourite fantasies and £10 is worth the chance to dream.

Why would you always expect to win, given the odds?

Think Premium Bonds are better. At least you can get your original investment back.

I do know someone who won the lottery 20 odd years ago. Moved to a much nicer area, gave up work, children have a better life than they would have done if they were still living where they did. But that's the only person I know of anyway.

So it does happen but the odds aren't very high!

I get a lucky dip every Saturday. I know my chances of winning are almost zero but for me I need that bit of hope that I will win the jackpot and it will change my life. I do expect to win every week and am very disappointed when I don't 🤣

I play (do) about once a month . I see how much the jackpot will be then spend the evening planning how I will spend it . I have even been known to to go as far as a notebook and pen to write down a budget for house , car , gifts etc , then look on rightmove , car dealers and designer websites . Very sad I know , but for me it's the fantasy I am buying . In reality I know my chances are pretty much zero .