# Group Lotto At Work?



## JWC (Nov 6, 2014)

So I'm not a gambler, I've bought two lotto tickets in my entire life. 

At work they do a group lotto. $10 a week buy in. I've been working there 7 years so I saved ~$3,640 by not participating so far.

However I can't help but think of how much it would suck if they won big time and I missed out lol.

What do the other CMFers think about group lotto? Do you partake?


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

I recall the big deal when Canada announced its first lottery with a prize of $1 million. A ticket cost $20! I jumped on board. A lot of money back then. The draw was televised. I did not win. Put me off forever.

Then, in the 1980s, I worked for 4 years in an office where everyone put in $2 a week to by 649 tickets which cost a buck apiece. There were draws every Wednesday and Friday. There were about 16 of us and the idea was that each of us would, in effect, buy one ticket for each draw and we'd pool. So we held 32 tickets every week. With what result?

In the 4 years I was there, we won $10 maybe a dozen or so times (used to buy extra tickets) and we won in the order of $90 a few times. So, overall, a poor "investment" I would say.

You have alluded to what was my sole motive for getting on board. I was sure that if I participated, there would be no big win. But I was not prepared to run the risk that my colleagues, going without me, would each win a bundle and quit their jobs, leaving me feeling like...well, as you say, it would suck.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

When I worked we had a group of 20 or so who did the same thing and I was in for the same reason you are thinking about it. However, our cost was only 10.00 a month or $120. a year. I wouldn't be in for 520.00 a year. To each their own.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

I skipped the $5/wk lotto pool when I worked. Some folks did participate to avoid being left behind if the pool won big. They should have saved their money. I watched those folks lose money on losing lottery tickets for over twenty years before I retired.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> At work they do a group lotto. $10 a week buy in. I've been working there 7 years so I saved ~$3,640 by not participating so far.


 Same was at company I was working for... for All 13 years I was working there , They never won anything... I never participated ... Generaly I never play gambling games against government and esp against crooked OLG..

Once I advised they "leader" with annual pool of money to buy random penny stock...chances to win would be much better


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I was away from work at the time, but I had two buddies who canvassed people to split on a $100 hospital lottery ticket with them. 

Nobody was interested, so they bought the ticket themselves. The two of them won and split $1,000,000 and a new Maserati Spyder car.

I remember some people were pretty upset they had turned down the chance to participate.

You pays your money and you takes your chances. If you don't buy a ticket you can't win.


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## scorpion_ca (Nov 3, 2014)

I have been maintaining a group of around 15-20 people since 2012 and we play $2 per week. I really enjoy the momentum. I don't drink much. So, I save there and I don't mind to spend $104 yearly.


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## JWC (Nov 6, 2014)

Ya i wouldn't mind for $100 a year but $520 seems like a lot to part with.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I don't play the lottery very much if at all, but I ALWAys join the work pool. I have even told one of my colleagues that if I am not there, just pay for me l and I will pay home back as soon as I get on. I even told my staff that if anyone starts a lottery pool with the team, they better include me. I do not ever want to be the one sticks with dealing with the work when everyone else wins the lottery,


$10 week does seem alot though, but I would still join.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

One good thing if you are the only one at work who does not get in the pool. When they win the big jackpot and everybody quits, you will be first in line for a raise and a promotion.


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## Mookie (Feb 29, 2012)

JWC said:


> At work they do a group lotto. $10 a week buy in. I've been working there 7 years so I saved ~$3,640 by not participating so far.


Sounds like you've got a winning strategy. I don't bother with office lottery pools either. 

On the other hand, I do usually buy a couple of those $100 hospital lottery tickets every year, but I buy my own ticket. Win or lose (so far only lose), I consider this to be a good cause, and consider it part of my charitable donations for the year.


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## peterk (May 16, 2010)

I'm trapped in one, going on 3 years now. Hoping the lady that runs it will run out of steam one day and end it. But so far she's showing no sign of a slowdown...


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

I have participated in the office pool (Lotto 6/49)at my previous employer. It was $2/week which was pretty reasonable. We almost won the jackpot one time but the last number was one digit off (43 instead of 44). We still won a nice little prize that amounted to $300 each. On draws where the LottoMax peaked at $50 million, we were given the option to buy an extra $5/each for that one but was completely optional and you had to give money to the leader on the spot. Not there, no participation.

$10/week is a bit much for me (would rather give it to charity at this point) and I think you've made the right decision too!


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## JWC (Nov 6, 2014)

Ok, thanks for all the replies. I think I'll keep sitting this one out.


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

I play to be not the only loser.


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## calm (May 26, 2020)

When Mayor Drapeau introduced the Olympic Lottery I purchased a pile of them and no win.

When Wintario opened up with Fred Davis as the front man, I purchased a pile of them and no win.





Wintario - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





I remember one draw and where I had purchased one thousand Wintario ticxkets at 2 bucks each and sat in the cab of my truck using a nickel to scratch the silver covered coating to read my prize, Zilch.
That is when I completely realized that Lady Luck was not on my side.

Now I buy one ticket for the 649 and Lotto Max weekly. (Friday/Saturday)
Everybody needs a dream and 10 bucks per week is kind of a cheap dream for me.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

The odds of a any ticket winning remain the same regardless of how many tickets you buy. In theory, buying multiple tickets which is the only reason to join a group, increases your chances of having a winning ticket. However, the increase is infintesimal when you go from a one in 28 million (Ontario Lotto Max for example) to say 10 in 28 million. So you really don't increase your chances any appreciable amount which is the only reason to join a group. Or in simple terms, joining a group does not really increases your chances vs. just buying one ticket by yourself.

What it does do however, is DECREASE your win if you do win! I would suggest that a nil real increase in your chance of winning does not outweigh a significant decrease in the amount you get if you do win. If I were a lottery ticket buyer I would rather win 100% in the extremely unlikely event of my winning at all vs. for the same extremely unlikely event of winning, only win 10% or whatever of a group ticket.

The only acceptable reason I see for a group ticket is to encourage 'group bonding' which of course has absolutely nothing to do with increasing the chances of winning. It just makes you 'one of the gang'. That can in some environments be an important consideration.


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