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| It's up again. Powerball and Mega Millions are huge and Americans are driven to buy lottery tickets again knowing the chances are slim. |
In 2018, we once again celebrate the new year with resolutions. One resolution is making more money. The obvious way to make money is gambling.
Once again I offer an honest opinion about issues facing our community, the government and the media. These honest opinions are not taken as fact.
It's just an opinion. If you're interested in taking my advice, go for it.
Okay, the Multi-State Lottery Association once again announces the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are reaching record amounts. In 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands both games are played.
The Powerball is played on Wednesday and Saturdays before 11pm (EST).
Mega Millions is played on Tuesday and Fridays before 11pm (EST).
For $2 or $3 with the Power Play or the Multiplier, a player could win a huge fortune. Mind you that a huge fortune comes with a huge price. The thrill of being a lottery winner can be exciting. It can be fun and life changing. But if you don't take the steps to be a smart winner, you may end up broke quickly.
Whether you use my advice or not, I want to say thank you again for taking an opportunity to read it.
So you purchased your Powerball or Mega Millions ticket. You payed $2 or more for that chance to win. Cool, ain't it.
Your chances of winning this jackpot is 1:274 million.
If I would win a record jackpot like this.............I don't know!
Powerball drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The last bet before the drawing is at 9:59pm. All drawings for the Powerball are held at 10:59pm.
Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays. The last bet before the drawing is at 10:44pm. All drawings for Mega Millions are held at 10:59pm.
The minimum Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots starts at $40 million.
The Powerball tickets use the 5/69 and 1/26 matrix. Each ticket cost $2.00. You must pick 5 numbers from 1 to 69 white balls and the Powerball from 1 to 26. These numbers can be called out, played again, written down, digitally apped or automatically picked. Make sure you play your numbers correctly.
The Mega Millions tickets were amended in October 2017. The matrix is now 5/70 and 1/25 matrix. Each ticket cost $2.00. You must pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 white balls and the Mega Ball from 1 to 25. These numbers can be called out, played again, written down, digitally apped or automatically picked. Make sure you play your numbers correctly.
Anyway, the first thing you want to do whenever you purchase a lottery ticket, is have money on hand. The operator is required to take money before issuing a ticket. Make sure you have your numbers placed on either a betting card, your lottery app or a previous ticket. Most operators will help you plug numbers in through the terminal or place an automatic bet for you. However in the case of long lines or possible errors, it would be best to be prepared for the transaction. Some states do offer debit and credit transactions. Make sure you get your information from your local lottery commission.
You cannot cancel Powerball or Mega Millions tickets. They are property of the Multi-State Lottery Association and your state (or territory's) lottery commission. Any alteration, distortion or underage playing will void the Multi-State Lottery Association games.
Second, make sure you write your name, phone number or email address on your ticket. If the ticket is lost, stolen, or damaged, you may find it harder to win over lottery officials. If you don't write your name on the lottery ticket and you lost it or a crooked lottery operator gets his hands on it: It's your word against the winner.
Mind you that lottery operators have a license number. The place that sold the winning ticket does keep records of the transaction. The tickets are time stamped, verified and authorized. If you lose the ticket, make sure you file a police report. Do not get on television saying that you lost the ticket. It could cause a panic and if you're lying about it, you could face charges of misleading or filing a false police report.
If you are the winner of a Powerball or Mega Millions ticket and the amount is a lot. I would recommend you take a picture with the winning ticket. It will also be insurance if you happen to lose the ticket.
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| Mavis Wanczyk went public one day after the Powerball drawing. She won $760 million and decided to quit before she got her winings. |
In most states, the required age to play the lottery is 18 years or older. Do not let anyone under the playing age purchase a ticket or lottery game. The operator could lose their license or you can forfeit your prize if the regional lottery operator determined that an underage player was the winner.
If you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, hire a qualified lottery and huge sum lawyer. Make sure that a large sum lawyer is certified in dealing with lottery wins. Don't entrust your winning with a law firm that doesn't know how to deal with lottery winnings, investment or day trade.
Create a trust fund and have a trustee come forward on your behalf.
Make an investment in your money. Put your money in a trust fund if you have children or family members you can trust if you should die. Make a will or entrust. Make sure you know that you have a family member or a trusted friend who will take care of the winnings once you pass away.
If you're bragging about you're winnings, that's fine. But you best believe that you should cancel out your social media immediately. There's too many opportunists willing to swarm your social media with requests.
The woman who won the Powerball $760 million didn't keep quiet. The Massachusetts woman, Mavis Wancyzk quit her nursing jobs the moment she found out she won. I would not do that. She will be at risk of a potential attack.
I don't want to pay the state police to secure my home or my property. I don't want my son, his mother, my family and closest friends getting harassed or death threats.
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| Mandy Vanhouten rode off with a prize that she was supposed to share with her former friend Leslie Underwood. |
If you do decide to become public and share your success with the junk food media, expect death threats, harassing calls, scammers and untrustworthy people to meddle. Family members, ex-girlfriends, ex-boyfriends, ex-spouses, fraudulent charity organizations and robbers are expected to exploit your riches. Keep a calm head and do not treat winning the lottery like its a "normal" thing.
If you purchase Powerball and Mega Millions from another state and you won, understand that it not a winner in your home state.
What does that mean?
Say you purchased a Mega Millions or Powerball ticket in Florida and you decided to head home to Massachusetts. You go to a local retailer and ask if you can "cash in" that $100 ticket. The operator says "I can't do that. It's not from our state."
You get upset and ask why you can't cash in a simple winning ticket from another state.
The usual comments whenever you try to cash in a ticket from another state is "Why can't you accept this 'winning' ticket: You guys play Mega Millions and Powerball too?"
Well the answer is simple. You have an out of state ticket that's a winner. That ticket must be returned to the state you've purchased it from.
You have to return back to the state you've purchased that ticket. Do not go into lottery retailer with a ticket from another state. Each state has a set of rules, regulations, state taxes and locality rules.
Be aware that 44 states, DC and two U.S. territories play Powerball and Mega Millions. The MUSL Association owns the rights to these games.
Whenever a lottery retailer handles a jackpot ticket, ask the cashier to make sure you hear the "winner" sound. Most machines will make a noise if you're a winner. There are also ticket verifying stations located near a lottery terminal. Make sure before you hand a ticket to a cashier, you are sure you won a jackpot. Ask for a claims form and/or a validation claim voucher.
For tickets that may be over a certain amount (i.e. amounts over $2,500), you might have to go to the lottery's regional offices. The offices are located in metropolitan areas.
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| Leslie Underwood upset over her former friend stealing her share of a jackpot. Mandy Vanhouten took a $300,000 prize after winning a scratch off ticket. |
You can avoid the lines, by going to iTunes or the Google Play store to get a free app for your state's lottery.
Never put your trust in a cashier who doesn't have experience in handling jackpots or validations of high value tickets.
Please, don't quit a job until you are sure you've won the lottery. Don't rush to judgment about being a lottery winner. Sometimes a person who wins the lottery never expects it to happen so don't sit around the house hoping the day will come you'll be the millionaire. Don't burn bridges with your job. You may end up back at it if you decide to go back into the workforce.
You might as well get those little things out the way. You should pay off debts to college loans, car loans, property, utility billings, spousal support, child support, back taxes and credit cards. Don't let these issues ruin your credit score or chances at buying better things.
Yeah, it's a huge change in your life. And you're going to have major things to accomplish. Go ahead and have fun with your earnings. Don't blow it on things that obviously will attract negative attention.
Yeah, the lottery is a gateway to putting in other venues. Some may blow their money at casinos, horsetracks, fantasy football and online poker. Some may blow it on drugs and alcohol.
Granted that you are given the right to do whatever you want with your earnings, but seriously are going to get a gold statue of your image?
Are willing to pay for five chefs, a butler, housekeeper, nanny, and chauffeur?
You going to buy property in Florida! Wow!
How about those nice fancy cars and that private jet?
How are you going to pay the feds with the new tax law passed by Congress and signed by Donald J. Trump?
Obviously, you might get a huge tax cut if you won the lottery.
Do whatever you want with your money, but be careful with it.
You know that money will change you. You might become stingy with the winnings. You should be humble.
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| Powerball, Mega Million and Lucky for Life cannot be cancelled. |
The Have-Nots Will Always Try To Make You Feel Guilty About Winning. Ignore Them And Be Happy About Your Success.
And before I go, I want to revisit a story that slipped past the radar.
Two women from Arkansas are feuding over a winning lottery ticket.
Amanda "Mandy" Vanhouten and Leslie Underwood were waitresses in Arkansas. They were best friends. They worked at this restaurant in Stuttgart and been there for years. They shared tips and trips together.
The owner of the restaurant gave them 10 scratch off tickets and the two made a verbal bond that whatever came out, they would share it.
The ticket that Mandy scratch was a top prize ticket of $300,000.
Excited the two saw the ticket and made a pact to cash it in together. A few days later, Leslie saw Mandy on the lottery page with the prize.
Mandy quit the restaurant and took off. She disabled her phone, social media and is off the radar.
Leslie was upset. She said that Mandy pulled a bitch move and she wants her cut. She decided to hire a federal lawyer and will hopefully find her before she takes off to the Cayman Islands.
If it wasn't in writing, it's not a contract.
Mandy did a foul move but it's legit. She doesn't have to share with anyone.
If she shows her face around town or publicly, she is at risk of getting attacked.
Remember folks, money changes people and lottery is the number one reason to why people are broke.
I play the lottery sometimes. However, I know my limits and I don't put my trust in a person who isn't a trusted friend. I don't believe people telling me they will give me a piece of the pot.
The only way I trust a person is a written and stamped contract.
So use my advise wisely. I am only giving my honest opinion and it could be informative.
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