The Cash Fever: Big Dreams And Lots Of Nightmares!

Back to back. The Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are a billion.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

PROTECT BLACK WOMEN! 

WEAR A DAMN MASK! SAVE A LIFE!

YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!

GOOGLE'S BLOGGER IS TRASH!

With the Blogger interface, it is getting harder to make blog posts. I am not kidding.

The way they rolled this interface out maybe the death knell for the once beloved social media platform.

I am not going to lie, this is frustrating and I am going to make my postings shorter and quicker now.

The American dream is to win the lottery. Have you ever wished you won the lottery?

Almost 120 million people play the lottery. The multi-state lotteries, Mega Millions and Powerball are high again and its expected to reach the $1 billion level if no one wins these jackpots.

The Mega Millions jackpot as of Thursday is $805 million and Powerball is $725 million.

Mega Millions drawings will be held on Tuesday and Friday. Powerball drawings will be held on Wednesday and Saturday.

Smart folks would avoid the lottery. Because your chances of winning it are 1:290. That's 290 million for ratio. 

The rest of us will spend up to $1000 for a chance at winning a huge amount of money. It will certainly put you in a different tax bracket if you win the lottery.

Okay, the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are reaching record amounts. In 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands both games are played. 

If you're playing Mega Millions and Powerball, how much would you spend? Matter of fact, do you play the lottery?

On average I would spend up to $10.

On average I would spend up to $50.

I play lottery tickets everyday.

I try to avoid the lottery. It can be addicting.

I play the Mega Millions and Powerball when it reaches record highs.

I play local lottery games like scratch-offs and state issue games.

I only go to casinos to gamble.

I don't gamble.

So here we are.... Talking about a dream to be rich in a pandemic!

With over 400,000 Americans dead from the coronavirus pandemic, it would be almost dangerous for you to stand in line for hours to purchase a ticket. I mean it's a risk!

Nonetheless if anyone does win the Mega Millions or the Powerball, they will take home almost a half a billion in cash. That of course means the local, state and federal taxes will be taken out.

• Make sure you 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 your state (or territory's) lottery commission. Any alteration, distortion or underage playing will void the games.
• 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 will forfeit your prize if the regional lottery operator determined that an underage player was the winner.
• If you purchase Powerball and Mega Millions from another state and you won, understand that it not a winner in your home state. You must return to the state where you purchased the ticket. The Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you're a traveler and won the lottery in the state of purchase, you have to return to the state to claim your prize. Every state has their own rules and regulations so don't think "it's all the same." It's not. It's a licensed property of the state gaming commission. 
• 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. If you are claiming jackpots that are under $500 or less at a licensed lottery operator, check your tickets at a lottery scanner first before handing the ticket off to the clerk. Make sure the cashier confirms the ticket. Tickets over $500 or more may have to go to a local lottery office in a regional jurisdiction. Lottery operators have vendor licenses and tickets are printed by a large set of numbers. If any allegations of fraud or cheating do occur, the lottery can subpoena the operator for the records of purchase and video surveillance of the person who purchased the ticket.
• Mega Millions and Powerball minimum jackpots start at $20 million. Each ticket is valued at $2 per unit. Some states have multiplier options to their games which could make your ticket $3 or $4 per unit. 
• You can view the results of Mega Millions and Powerball on your local television station at 10:59pm. Mega Millions is drawn on Tuesday and Friday. Powerball is drawn on Wednesday and Saturday. You can also get your state's lottery results on websites, the lottery commission apps on the Apple Store and Google Play. You can view results on social media. 
• You can self-validate tickets under $500 through your phone so it can make it "touchless" contact. You can also get winnings under $500 installed in your bank account or through a credit card. Some fees do apply for distribution of cards and bank deposits.
• You have at least 90 days to a year to claim a Mega Million or Powerball jackpot. Some states have a period of time to claim your prize. If you fail to claim the prize upon its final claim day, it will go back to the state. The lottery operator will collect a reward for selling the winning ticket. Do not wait till the last minute to claim a jackpot prize. The lottery commission does have the right to forfeit or cancel any prizes presented.
• Do not quit your job until you're certain you won the lottery. At the end of the day, some people get bored with their lives and may want to return to the workforce. Don't burn bridges with your employer. You may have to return back to the employer one day.

You know I've often posted about what I would do if I won the lottery. It is not legal advise so you don't have to take my word for it. I am just expressing what I am going to do if I win the lottery.

I will first write my name on the lottery ticket. I will always make sure that if I ever lose that ticket, my name is on it and it cannot be claimed by someone who is the person who wrote on the back of it.

Write your name on the back of your lottery tickets.

I will also make sure I take a picture of the ticket. It will be a good thing to take a picture if you want to prove to your state's lottery commission that you were the one who purchased the ticket. I mean it would be smart to take pictures of your lottery tickets. Say if you have a group purchase of lottery tickets and you purchase one for yourself or your family member. You won't have to obligate to the group pool's tickets if you show that you bought one for yourself. Because it will be a legal matter if you purchase the group tickets but failed to disclose you purchased one for yourself. Even though you won on your own separate ticket, it's best to let the group know that you purchased a solo ticket to prevent them from believing you've stolen money or violated the group's contract.

If I do win the lottery, I will immediately pay off all my debts. The car loans, child support, spousal support, medical bills, phone bills, mortgage, court fees and bank loans will be paid in full. Before I even collect my lottery winnings, I want to be caught up on everything. Many states will offset lottery winnings due to a person owning state debt, child support, spousal support and court fees. If you know that you owe, pay it off.

Some states require you to present yourself when winning jackpots. Others states allow you to be anonymous when collecting a jackpot.

I will immediately close my social media and change my phone number. If you're a winner of the lottery, the junk food media, your family, your friends, your acquaintances, your co-workers, your community, charity groups, scammers and the state will know you. I am going to cancel my Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and social dating apps. I am very clear about my movements and I chose to not be public about it. When I was younger and naive, I would have shown my face to the public. But alas, I've gotten older and I am not the same as I was when I was younger.

I will also get a trust fund prepared, a will and a trusted member of family to hold my winnings. Yeah, it would be nice to establish a trust fund for family members if you do die. I mean this year is full of uncertainty. Winning the lottery has higher odds than catching the coronavirus. On point, 1 out of 15 people are infected with the coronavirus and people have died from it. You win the lottery one day and the next day you caught the coronavirus. You got to remind yourself, you can't take it when you're gone. So it's best to establish a will to distribute your lottery winning to either family, charity and those who you feel deserve it. It will be written and notarized by an attorney or a bank. If you do establish a trust fund you could hire a financial advisor or a family member to oversee your earnings. Make sure that financial advisor is licensed and trusted by the Better Business Bureau. It also must be routine to study on how lottery winners adapt to money. Cause you're going into a bigger tax bracket and taxes vary on many states.

Some winners win secondary prizes. If you get five numbers without the Mega ball you can win up $10 million.

Now that I have my lottery winnings, I will now take the opportunity to buy things that are rational. I would purchase a vehicle, get a home, put some in an investment and prepare for a vacation. Of course, vacations are no longer the norm in the age of COVID-19. So I would be smart to be prepared to be tested for the coronavirus before I take a vacation. Many countries have banned Americans entry to their countries out of fear we're carrying the coronavirus. With the various strains and outgoing President Donald J. Trump's failure to take control of the matter, world leaders don't trust the American leadership in handling a global pandemic.

You just can't go to Tahiti like Kim Kardashian and her family. They own a private island in French Polynesia. She was roundly criticized for taking birthday vacation while others struggle to keep their homes and lives safe.

Be humble about winning the lottery. You will not live a normal life. You could hopefully use the lottery winnings for a long time of success or squander it away within five years and end up miserable. Do not worry about the have-nots! Enjoy the winnings with pride and caution. Your success shouldn't be a punishment. If you do take the opportunity to win the lottery make yourself aware of the surroundings. 

Be cautious about the pandemic. 

This is not a joke.

This my opinion and I stand by what I say!