The Minnesota State Lottery wanted to create a place where people could feel at home playing the lottery, so they, with help from Colle+McVoy, created an entire town where residents can live in a land where it rains money and the flowers are made out of dollar bills. OK, so they didn’t create an actual town but they did create a website for the town of Lucky MN where those who want to play the state lottery can do so with ease. (Adrants) Maybe “cutting edge” isn’t always so admirable.
MN Creates New Town to Promote Lottery
May 18 2006 — 2:00am
15 Reader Comments
2:36 pm
Statistically speaking, shouldn’t it be called “Unlucky, MN”? I’m no mathematician, but don’t nearly all the people who play the MN State Lottery loose?
2:39 pm
but don’t nearly all the people who play the MN State Lottery loose?
You’re thinking of Powerball, which is a nation wide game and your odd in that are still 1 in 36.
The Minnesota lottery also includes scratch off where the odd of winning are a little better than 1 in 4 for most of the basic games. The odds of winning something in Gopher 5 are about 1 in 6.
2:42 pm
Gambling has never been so much fun!
Consequently, I am a mathematician and yes, most of them do lose. That’s more a statistician’s job with the probability and the such, but for every winner there’s a lot of losers who paid for his/her prize.
2:48 pm
They specifically calculate the odds so that they won’t lose money on things like scratchers. With the bigger number-drawing prizes the pot is proportional (but not equal to!) the number of tickets bought, so the bigger the purse, the smaller the chances of you winning it.
There’s a whole bit of math where you multiply probabilities by prizes and get an expected return. That’s more applicable in casinos, though, where you’re betting directly against the house. They tweak the odds on their slots to make sure they bring in more cash than they pay out, but the machines have to be inspected by gaming commissions to make sure they’re not fixed to be obscenely unfair.
2:49 pm
…but don’t nearly all the people who play the MN State Lottery loose?
In the end, yes, and statistically they lose too.
2:50 pm
It’s always better to consult the experts.
2:54 pm
…but don’t nearly all the people who play the MN State Lottery loose?
In the end, yes, and statistically they lose too.
Damn it all to hell.
3:17 pm
And please note, in the lower-left corner: Powered by Clockwork Active Media Systems. (Disclaimer: That’s where I work. We’re quite fond of Lucky.)
3:34 pm
The lottery is a state-sanctioned idiot tax. It’s the single reason I pay for gas at the pump.
3:48 pm
The lottery is a state-sanctioned idiot tax.
Well, smell you!
3:59 pm
Cletus, you know I can only wear the shirt what Dairy Queen done gimme.
4:09 pm
Dammit s4xton I wanted to the the “in the end” joke. Bastard.
4:14 pm
That wasn’t s4xton.
4:15 pm
Chuck, I had no idea you actually worked? I thought the investigative journalism career was taking care of business for you.
6:16 pm
yyyyyeah, i work full-time. that investigative report was taped about 3am. who needs sleep?
and hey, who wants to place a post-roll video ad on Minnesota Stories? Calllll me kthxbye! (Seriously.)