Want to Become Rich? The Lottery Isn’t the Way to Go Tuesday, October 11, 2011 By Co-Editor Breana Stodden - Advertising Over two million people play the lottery in a week. Out of those people, only a few win. Everyone who plays thinks they have a chance to win a huge some of money, and they are right, but the chance isn't very high. The chances of winning are 18,000,000 to 1. Still think you have a shot? On average, a person will spend roughly $150 on lottery tickets in a year. Yes, people say you have to play to win, but you have a higher chance of being struck by lightning and dying than you do winning the lottery. The odds of dying from a lightning strike are 2,650 to 1; the chances of winning the lottery is over 15 higher. I hate to be so blunt, but it is reality. People should not be wasting all their money on something they aren’t going to win, especially if you are unemployed. Recently, an unemployed lady in Georgia won 25 million dollars off the lottery. The cashier gave her the wrong ticket, so she went ahead and bought both. Those tickets are not the cheapest. She was lucky enough to win, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are. If you are unemployed and tight on money, don't waste the money you do have on lottery tickets thinking you will win like her, because you probably won’t. Lottery tickets should not be your top priority at that point; food and shelter should be. Just because this lady was 1 in 18,000,000 doesn’t mean you will be too. People could be saving over $150 a year. I know it is probably addicting to play because everyone wants to win, but that $150 or more could be used for something better. So next time you are at the store and you go to buy that non-winning lottery ticket, think do I really need this?

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