Mega Millions jackpot jumps to $550 million after nobody wins big prize

[joshcryer]

62. But you insult "smugness" in critics.

Maybe the critics are in the minority, poor or rich alike, who understand the Gambler's fallacy?

The Gambler's fallacy goes beyond ones own intuition or cognitive ability, indeed, it directly notes ones biases to be persuaded by numbers which aren't in their favor. This disproportionately affects the poor or people convinced they're poorer than they are, in such a way as to make them empty their wallets to play the game.

It's not about some one off fantasy, it's about a regular investment.

Hint: in less than 6 hours my brother is about to put his newborn daughters fucking formula money into lottery tickets to win this fucking bullshit, after repeated explanations as to the fact that he could die of suffocation, be hit by a car walking down the street, or being hit by lightning. He's one of the people who, while I would not say is stupid, is biased by the Gambler's fallacy. Oh, I gave him $5 to give me a ticket, too (we're in Nevada he has to drive out of state). If I win you get a million dollars. If only because you believe it is emotional (as opposed to economic / class based) to buy into highly improbable economic events.

You appear to dismiss the state taking advantage of economic desperation as you suggest it is merely people partaking in fantasy about how they might spend monies they will, most certainly, never see.

edit: strike that, you'll get $10 million if I win on $5 of random quick picks, that's how much I consider this a joke of epic proportions. A pure joke. I'm more likely to be buying my nieces formula for the next two weeks because my brother isn't thinking about his family and will be in the negative for the next couple of weeks. All because "emotional fantasy" that I, the smug asshole, am not considering (how about the asshole not buying his own daughter formula to gamble? Oh, no, poor guy, he has to fulfill his emotional reasons to gamble).