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Day 1, Entry #3 with Rennie Jackson discussing the Mega Million jackpot and the pros and cons of the lottery.

Like Cory, playing the lottery has never been something that has ever been much of a priority for me, but when that jackpot gets that large, you just can’t keep from hearing about it from every media outlet and wannabe riverboat gambler in earshot. I overheard someone last week justify their purchase of a ticket for it, by saying…

“Well, one way you can be sure you won’t win is to not buy a ticket”.

While that philosophy is completely accurate, I’m the kind who has never placed a lot of emphasis on “cashing in on the big payout.” Is it the odds? Well, of course. But that doesn’t keep me from attempting to overcome the house odds on a blackjack table occasionally. Even given that the odds for blackjack (for the player) are the best of any game in the casino.

It’s just not my cup of tea. I just figure it’s just not worth the effort given the odds to drive to one of the bordering states and lay those dollars down for a less than razor thin chance to hit the big jackpot. In an unrelated story, as a kid, my mom used to take my brothers and I shopping for clothes at a store called “The Jackpot.”  It was, as you might imagine, not “The Jackpot” and very much like the majority of lottery tickets purchased by millions of lottery players.

On the other hand, the states that participate benefit greatly from the lottery, and for the citizens of these states it is the jackpot, regardless of if they have a citizen that claims a “Golden Ticket.” Even the little convenience store outlets that sold the winning tickets benefit to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“IF” and I mean “IF” those proceeds are allocated as they are presented by the participating states, it is revenue to benefit the citizens of that state, specifically, in the form of scholarships for deserving students, as in Georgia. Worthy students who might otherwise have little to no opportunity to further their education beyond their economic reality will, in- turn, benefit the economic well-being and infrastructure of a state that is forward thinking enough to support their economic future.