My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts
Day 114: A 60 Million Dollar Winner
For the past few weeks, the jackpot of Max Millions stood at $60 million dollars. Week after week, nobody won this jackpot, until yesterday which means that someone or a group of someones are celebrating this weekend as he, she or they are $60 million dollars richer.
During these past few weeks, people who otherwise never bought a ticket now did and they didn’t just buy a ticket, they went all out and bought $20, $50 or even $100 worth of tickets. Which makes me wonder … does the jackpot have to amount to $60 million before people get interested? Is $5 million, $10 million or $20 million not enough?
I also hope it’s not an undeserving person who won. You know the one who says … “Oh I never play, this was the first time I bought a ticket.” I find this terribly unfair. There are people, like me, who play every week without fail. Most of us have a firm set of numbers we use every week like birthdays, anniversaries, and other dates with a special meaning. So you can imagine, when some jackass wins millions who otherwise never plays that we feel betrayed.
As for me, I had high hopes of winning and plans of helping friends who could do with some financial assistance. Unfortunately, my hopes and plans turned to dust. Other than two free tickets I won nothing.
Not that this came as a surprise, I never win anything (other than free tickets and the occasional $10). Although, I must admit, many years ago – about a month after we arrived in Canada - I did win something.
Back then Max Millions was known as the Super 7. As the name implies, gamblers would pick seven numbers and then hope for the best. That particular Friday night I watched the draw of the numbers on TV and wrote them down on a notepad. Once the draw was finished, I retrieved my ticket and moved to the dining room table.
When I checked my ticket I had not 1, 2, 3 or 4 numbers right, I had 5 numbers right! Dieter and I were besides ourselves, thinking that we had won thousands of dollars. How much were five right numbers worth … $30,000, $50,000, $75,000 or even more?
Since results were not posted online back then, Dieter put on his coat and shoes and went to the nearest convenience store to pick up a ticket with the winning numbers and the money breakdown.
When he came back I immediately could tell that he didn’t have good news.
“Not $30,000, $50,000 or $75,000?” I asked him.
He shook his head.
“How much then … $10,000?”
Another headshake.
“$5,000 … $3,000?”
More head shaking.
“Well, how much then?”
Dieter put the ticket on the table so I could see for myself. The payout for five correct numbers was … $131,57.
From what I can tell, everyone agrees. The difference between 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th prize is too big. See for yourself …
|
Prize
|
Matches
|
Amount
|
Winners
|
|
1st
|
7
|
$60,000,000.00
|
1
|
|
2nd
|
6 + Bonus
|
$202,003.60
|
5
|
|
3rd
|
6
|
$5,536.80
|
194
|
|
4th
|
5
|
$107.50
|
12,678
|
|
5th
|
4
|
$20.00
|
288,496
|
|
6th
|
3 + Bonus
|
$20.00
|
276,488
|
|
7th
|
3
|
Free Ticket
|
2,537,042
|
Still, come Friday, I'll play again because as every gambler knows ... you have to be in it to win it and perseverance pays off. And if nothing else, I am persistent. I live by the slogan NEVER GIVE UP!
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