I can’t predict the numbers, and neither can you. So why do so many people pick their own numbers and play the power ball so much that it becomes obsessive? Some may say what is a dollar when you can win so much more. But day after day, week after week, month after month, I watch the same people come to me at my job and play the same numbers. They may be Power Ball, CT Lotto, Cash 5, or any of the other CT draw games. It may start with only one dollar, but eventually they move onto five, ten, or even twenty dollars worth of Power Ball for one drawing.

But when is enough, enough? When is it time to give up on the hope and dream of winning the millions? That time is now. I watch the same customers buy five or more Power Ball tickets each drawing and the day after, they still never win even a couple of bucks. When I do my daily balancing for our lotto sales, each day we will sell at least one hundred dollars worth of Power Ball, but on drawing days, Wednesday and Saturday, we may sell anywhere from two hundred to five hundred dollars worth of Power Ball only. Everyone gambles to try to get rich fast. But when is it time to give up that dream. The chance of winning the power ball is 1 in 27,882,047,661. That is right, one out of 27 Billion. When there is only 300 Million Americans, what are your true odds of actually winning? When is it time to look at how much you spend and lose to realize it is time to give up.

I am no angel. I too have tried my luck on some scratch tickets, draw games, and even rarely, the Power Ball. I have had my luck sprees on scratch tickets, I even won a few of the Play 3 from the CT Lotto draw games. But for how much money I have won, I can almost guarantee that I am not ahead of the game, as many of you aren’t. I have won $100 on a scratch ticket about 5 times. I have hit a few $50’s and a few $75’s along with plenty of $20 and lower. But I can tell you I am in the hole. It may not be by much, but I have definitely spent a little more than I have won. Take even one month and keep track, honestly keep track, of what you spend compared to what you make back. You will see that your money each month can go towards something else. Trust me, unless you are one of the rare lucky ones, you are losing more money than you are making.

I have a customer that won $100,000 last year. All of that money is gone and he still wastes over $20 a day, if not more, from just my store. He is greedy. He wants nothing less than a million. If I was to spend $10 and win $100,000 you bet I would put that money towards something good and quit. One of the managers I work for has a huge gambling problem. He spends over $200 a day. He said he has hit $10,000, $20,000, $2,500, and a few other good amounts. Yet, all of that money is gone and they are still gambling daily. So far today as I have been writing this at work, since it is that slow, he has spent over $200. I am only 3 hours into my 6 hour shift. This is the kind of gambling that people need to get help for.

I my self have gambled, as I stated. I know that I am in the hole. I can admit that, yes they are fun, and yes it would be awesome to win the Power Ball, but at some point, you need to realize that you are not going to be one of the lucky ones. The money you would usually spend on gambling, throw into a bucket for two months. Every time you get a feeling to buy some, throw the money into a bucket. See how much you would save your self over that month or two. Don’t look at it as how much you COULD have won, look at it how much you just saved your self. I am sorry for the title, but millions of people each week try to guess the numbers. So this was a catchy title for anyone that tries.