Scriptural reference against playing the lottery? The gambling thread *Merged*

[shane8353]

If I got that much money, I would put it into ministries who really need it. Ministries that are true to God's word. Like RR and RF. My preacher joked the other day and said " I don't want to know if you played the lottery and won, but do remember to tithe."

[Sheprdboi]

Sheprdboi-Yo--Are u OK? You haven't been breathing the fumes from all the ND oil wells or sumptin?

Oh Man! is that what's wrong with all of us up here, we're all Duh-leer-eeus!

[Sheprdboi]

I had such plans too, Beef up Israels Defenses, Start Demolition on the dome of the rock, Put in a Big order for some Temple Stones, Hire a few contractors, you know just help out a bit...

[GeoWolf]

Heard of one case on the radio, someone spent 10 million buying lotto tickets for this thing.

And what would anyone one do with such a sudden extreme amount of wealth coming in all at once? If it were me, I'd have to go into hiding. I can't imagine the horrors that could come with that. I've seen some of the repurcussions of past lotto winners: divorce, foreclosure, burglary, drug use, ending up penniless, etc.

I honestly wouldn't know what to do with that. Sure I'd be set for life, but it would ruin a lot of relationships I have with people I care about. I'm happy where I am right now. I don't ever play the lottery.

[Jlutz]

Statistical fact

Most lotto winners are broke again after only 7 years.

[PepsiDad]

I told my wife tonight that if I won that kind of money, I'd keep enough to live comfortably (not extravagantly), but the rest would go to ministries around the world.

GeoWolf is right. Whoever wins this will have to go into hiding. The winner will have to worry about the safety of all their family, close and extended, when word gets out that they won it. Coming into that much money changes your life in so many ways, most of it bad. The winner will be hounded by the media, long lost friends and relatives will show up out of nowhere for years on end, and the lawsuits will be coming out of the woodwork, from clients and their greedy lawyers for a wide variety of crazy reasons.

I have a coworker who's father knew a man who won the California lottery for something like $15 million. He owned an auto repair business at the time. By the time he defended himself in court against the many claims (lawsuits) that his business ruined the cars of his customers, he had no winnings left and he ultimately lost his business.

[Wally]

Once every couple years, I buy a ticket.

Just to remind myself,

1) I'll never win.

2) I already have all provisions from a Loving Heavenly Father.

3) The things you really want cannot be bought.


Sure there are dreams and fancies of what we could do, who we could help, but the funny thing is
with all those millions already won, I've never heard of any christian outreach funded.

Seems the devil only rewards his own, or curses those who are not.


Of course I would buy me an AV-8 Harrier.

[icebear]

Of course I would buy me an AV-8 Harrier.

i want a howitzer

[Wally]

i want a howitzer

Better than a lawn jockey.

[CatChick]

And We Have Ahhhh Winner !!! Or Three.....

Mega Millions Jackpot Winners Scoop Up $640 Million

Three winning tickets purchased in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas come forward to share largest lottery jackpot in history.

The largest lottery jackpot in history – $640m (£400m) – has been shared in the US by at least three ticket holders.

Winning tickets were purchased in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas, according to officials and media reports. The Maryland winner bought the ticket in a 7-Eleven store, a lottery official said.

"It was a quick pick and only one ticket was purchased [by the winner]", the Maryland official said. "We don't know who this person is."

The owners of the 7-Eleven store receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. If no-one else comes forward each of the three winners would net more than $213m.

The winning numbers announced at the draw in Atlanta on Friday night were 2,4,23,38 and 46, plus the Mega Ball, 23. Odds of winning the entire jackpot were 175m-1, said Margaret DeFrancisco, president and chief executive of the Georgia Lottery Corporation.

The previous largest Mega Millions jackpot was $390m in 2007, which was split between two ticket holders in Georgia and New Jersey.

About half the lottery money goes back to ticket holders in the form of winnings, 35% to state governments and 15% to retailer commissions and lottery operating expenses. Another winner is the US internal revenue service. The US tax-collecting agency subjects lottery winnings of more than $5,000 (£3,100) to a 25% federal withholding tax.

Even the wealthy succumbed to the lottery bug. NBA basketball player Chris Singleton, who earns a reported $1.5m playing for the Washington Wizards, said on Twitter that he planned to splurge $10,000 on tickets.

On Friday, the lottery estimated that total ticket sales for this jackpot, which has been building up since 28 January, would be about $1.46bn.

The Gaurdian / UK

[PepsiDad]

i want a howitzer

I'd buy a house with a moat and drawbridge. Helps keep the neighbor's dog from coming over and leaving little bits of love all over the yard.

[IamHis]

In Pennsylvania, they say the proceeds from lottery tickets goes to
help senior citizens programs. But they never say how much went
or to what actual program. Does anyone know?

[john boland]

James Gregory "The Funiest Man In America" once did a bit about lottery winners. An eldery woman won a large sum of money in a lottery and when she was interviewed by the local news the obvious question was asked what was she going to do with her new found riches. The eldery woman replied "Well I don't know but I am thinking about getting my transmission fixed".

[Mailmandan]

I didn't know if there was already a thread on this but have anyone else noticed that there have been an increase interest among americans and the mega millions jackpot? I mean people are going mad crazy buying 100 tickets, plotting, etc. I just thought it was a little stranger than usual.

Any thoughts?

I watched a show on television called "curse of the lottery" which interviewed different people who had previously won millions from the lottery and it amazed me to see how many of them had spent their money foolishly and got into trouble. One man even went from being 10 million dollars richer to $150,000 in debt just five years later. Talk about irresponsible!

[Wally]

In Pennsylvania, they say the proceeds from lottery tickets goes to
help senior citizens programs. But they never say how much went
or to what actual program. Does anyone know?

It subsidizes dog food purchases.

Considering how much the state keeps - taxes et all.... I'd expect some serious County Home rebuilds.
Berks Co. did have a major one a few years ago.

You are right though, they should publicize this more.... except it migh feed animosity between counties.

[IMSAVED]

I watched a show on television called "curse of the lottery" which interviewed different people who had previously won millions from the lottery and it amazed me to see how many of them had spent their money foolishly and got into trouble. One man even went from being 10 million dollars richer to $150,000 in debt just five years later. Talk about irresponsible!

My father won a small Canadian lottery in the 70's.It was a million.It was a headache.His house was broken into 3 times afterward.Once they broke down the door to his house with an axe that was in the garageSince my mom had died three years previously he had all kinds of women from his past calling him.After the exchange from Canadian money and U.S. dollars and all the lawyers and accountants it really did not amount to that much.

[SummerSailing81]

Statistically speaking, anyone playing the lottery has a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning. That said, one of the saddest conversations I ever witnessed happened at 7-11 back in the late 80s. It was around Christmas time and I was standing in line waiting to pay for my soda and the guy in front of me was buying lottery tickets - as I recall it was $20 worth. He tells the checkout clerk that he's hoping to win the lottery because his daughter wants a Raiders jacket (a local high school's letterman's jacket) for Christmas. I thought to myself, if you'd just stop buying lottery tickets for a few weeks you'd have the money to buy the jacket. At that time the jackets were probably around $75 or so, and if he was spending only $20 a week on the tickets, he could have saved it in about 4 weeks. I'd dare say the girl probably didn't get the jacket for Christmas unless someone other than her dad got it for her.

[Tall Timbers]

I'd have no trouble managing the money... that is, what's left of it after the actual payout after taxes.

I wouldn't change much with regards to how we live or the decisions we made. Any giving would come with a confidentiality clause that would stipulate that if the the giver was revealed, the organization would be obligated to immediately return the gift. The town would never know that anyone or any organization had ever managed to squeeze a cent off me.

That said, I've never purchased a lottery ticket. Gambling is something I just don't do for the most part. I try to avoid raffle tickets to the extent that is possible. As I get older it becomes a little more difficult to say no the the 5 year old selling a raffle ticket to support their school or organization...

[pixelpusher]

kinda off topic but I gotta tell it...

Back in my wild days, the gang stopped at a c-store in Florida. We all went in and got our stuff, and several of the guys bought scratch off tickets. One dude scratched his and won $50. He was so excited, he squealed tires leaving the parking lot in his Camaro. He was promptly pulled over by the cop who was sitting on the other side of the trees in the next parking lot over, and he received a $50 ticket for reckless driving! D'oh! Easy come, easy go...

[adamrach]

kinda off topic but I gotta tell it...

Back in my wild days, the gang stopped at a c-store in Florida. We all went in and got our stuff, and several of the guys bought scratch off tickets. One dude scratched his and won $50. He was so excited, he squealed tires leaving the parking lot in his Camaro. He was promptly pulled over by the cop who was sitting on the other side of the trees in the next parking lot over, and he received a $50 ticket for reckless driving! D'oh! Easy come, easy go...

LoL