Random 26 Apr 2003 10:23 pm
Money, money
So I didn’t win the lottery tonight. Which was to be expected, of course; had I won, I probably wouldn’t be editing a blog entry right now.
Usually, my attitude towards lotteries is very simple. My chances of picking the winning numbers is very, very small (less than 1 in 50 million for a 6-number lottery); therefore, my chances of, not having played, finding the winning ticket just lying on the street can’t be much worse. So, by not playing, I am not reducing by much my chances of winning, and I save a few bucks.
This week, however, there was a very large prize, and my co-workers decided to pool their money and play together. This increases everybody’s chances of winning (and reduces the prize, should you actually win). This also makes participation almost compulsory; I mean, who would want to be left behind ? Imagine what would be like going to work on Monday and finding out that everyone is a millionaire except you. So, you see, I had to play.
And, having played, you will immediatelly start dreaming about what would you do with the money. You actually start seeing yourself as a millionaire. And then, when you don’t win, you think “maybe next week…” Yes, I surely can see how gambling can be addictive. For now, I’ll go back to my old strategy.
