What would I do if I won $1.5 billion playing Powerball? That’s a good question, one that some lucky, or as some would say, unlucky, person will find out in the very new future.
As you read on the front page of today’s edition, the Powerball lottery is at $1.5 billion and climbing as the frenzy has now got the straights standing in line to buy a ticket. No one has hit the number since it began building in November. However, with the more people getting in, mathematics tells us it’s going to be real soon.
Regardless of your stand on gambling, I can tell you one thing for sure. The house always wins. In this case, the government wins. While they may give $1.5 billion to one lucky guy or girl, they have more than made back that money with a profit. It’s the same in Vegas. All you have to do is walk down the strip there and see those palaces shining in the desert sky to realize the house always wins.
I know, we all have buddies who come back from Vegas, Tunica or Cherokee and claim they were winners. Of course, they don’t take into account how much they lost at the table or in the slot machine before they made that $200 the last night in the casino. No one wants to admit they came back lighter than when they left. However, once again, all you have to do is look at the casinos in Vegas to realize you can’t win.
What about the lottery, you ask? It’s the same formula. You may have folks who win several thousand dollars but I dare say they’ve spent way more than that over the years buying useless pieces of cardboard and scratching them off, although I have to admit I appreciate them helping pay for my children’s education. Their loss is my gain. Don’t believe me? The odds of winning the Powerball, as it sits right now, are 1-in-292 million.
I’ve heard a lot of illustrations this past week. One said you have a much better chance of being killed by an asteroid strike than winning the Powerball. That is just 1-in-700,000. You also have a much better chance of being killed by a lightning strike. Those odds are 1-in-164,968.
Actually, to expand on that, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning while you are in the process of drowning than winning the Powerball. Those odds are 1-in-183 million. Now, as to who makes up these weird odds, I haven’t a clue.
So, back to the original question, what would I do if I won $1.5 billion? Bigger house, nicer car, more traveling, give to family, friends and good causes, sit back and write a best seller about winning $1.5 billion – all your usual “I just won $1.5 billion stuff.”
One thing I wouldn’t do is be on that show about my life being ruined by winning the lottery. I challenge you. Try to ruin my life by giving me $1.5 billion. I’m up for that challenge.
Standard reporter Duane Sherrill can be reached at 473-2191.