“Powerball at an estimated $600 million as jackpot continues to grow,” AP via Fox News
“Got THE ticket for tonight’s big Powerball drawing?,” CNN
Odds of winning: 1 in 175.2 million.
Odds of becoming president: 1 in 43,000,000.
Odds of being struck by lightning this year: 1 in 700,000.
The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math, according to Ambrose Bierce, but it’s worse than that. It’s a tax on the hopes and dreams of the poor. The only way lottery corporations get away with it is by giving a kickback to state governments, a small cut of their vast profits.
UPDATE:
“$590M-plus Powerball: 1 winning ticket sold in Florida,” Barbara Rodriguez, AP via Boston Globe
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