Take Your Chance, Try Your
Luck?
September 29
I'm sure that this does not surprise you,
but thanks to the events on Wall Street, the number of unemployment
applications have increased. Welfare applications have gone up. And
also, which should also not be surprising, so have been the lottery
figures. According to the NJ Lottery, this may be a record-setting year
for them, as they have passed the $2.5-billion sales mark with only
three months left to go.
Let's be blunt. The economy blows chunks. Regardless of who you blame
(and there is plenty of blame to go around), there is no doubt that
people are paying the buck to try to get rich quick and avoid the
economic downturn that's been plaguing everyone. Spend a dollar, and
maybe you'll be rich for life. You'll probably get struck by lightning
twice first, but the dream of being the person to win million of dollars
is such a romantic ideal that it proves too alluring to not spend a few
bucks to try to snatch it.
But winning million of dollars off of a Pick 6 isn't the only way to get
money. In NJ, the odds of winning money on a scratch-off ticket are
between 16 and 30 percent, depending on a ticket - which is much better
odds than being struck by lightning. And because the odds are better
than a Pick 6, it's a very tempting offer. Now add game shows to the mix
and you have yourself an interesting combination of gambling -
especially when the rewards include actually being on the show.
The big one in the Garden State is Deal Or No Deal, which not only gives
you the chance of winning $100,000, but allows people in a second chance
drawing to win a trip to LA and be on the show during 'Lottery Winners
Week'. Seven people will also have the chance to play a non-televised
game and then spin a wheel that could multiply the winnings by five,
hence winning a potential $2.5 million jackpot.
Great, huh?
Yes, if you want to spend money on it. And I mean a lot of money on it.
In order to get a chance to win, you have to turn in 3 non-winning
tickets. At $5 a pop, that means $15. There's 9 drawings, so if you want
A CHANCE to get on a flight in LA and if you want A CHANCE in every
drawing, that will cost you $135. Maybe you'll get lucky and win $25 or
$50 on a ticket to offset your cost, but because you only have a 16 to
20 percent chance of winning, chances are you won't. And since you can
enter more than one time, it's very possible that people will spend more
to have a chance to get on the show than what the cost would be to buy
an airplane ticket and board a plane to Los Angeles and interview in
person.
So it this a good deal? Or should you no deal it? ONLY Gamble what you
can afford. If you can throw a quick $20 down and have a shot, knowing
you probably will never see it again, then why not? If you need the $20
to make sure you have milk. cereal and toiletries, then it's not a great
idea. Keep in mind that this is a 9 state tournament, so you're going up
against not only people in NJ, but from other states, so the chances of
winning are worse than opening up a case and discovering Paris Hilton's
cell phone.
If you do decide to do it - good luck. Just remember that although the
idea is nice, unless you get touched by a massive surge of luck, the
closest that you're going to be to Howie Mandel is by watching him on
your TV set. And you can take that to the banker.
Gordon Pepper pays his money. Gordon
Pepper takes his chances. E-mail him to
gordon@gameshownewsnet.com.
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