My wife is driving me nuts. Help me!

[mikodo]

My wife likes to spend our money (my paycheck), in part on lottery tickets. In Canada we have two major lotteries, 6/49 and lotto 7. I am going by memory, from when I figured the odds to winning a long time ago, to be roughly as follows:

6/49 = 1/12,800,040

Lotto 7 = 1/60,000,040 (I don't remember this one as well, and could be significantly off, but it doesn't matter to my question).

Notice that I attached a 40 to the end of both of the odds.

My wife will spend up to $40.00 per lottery, thinking it significantly increases the odds of winning.

Question:

How can I make her understand that 1/12,800,000 odds of winning, instead of 1/12,800,040 odds or

1/60,000,000 odds of winning, instead of 1/60,000,040 odds

does not warrant spending $40.00, instead of just $1.00 each time?



Thanks.

[leclerc65]

You can't.

[Toz]

Actually, the odds of winning are always the same, for each ticket.

In your example, 1/12,800,040 for each ticket. You just take multiple chances. Playing more than one ticket does not increase your odds.

[CharlesA]

Uh good luck?

Also, what leclerc65 said. You can try to explain the probability, but in general, people who play the lotto play it to win, even when the odds are stacked against them.

I think part of it is the mentality of "I'll win this time" even when they don't win.

[mikodo]

Actually, the odds of winning are always the same, for each ticket.

In your example, 1/12,800,040 for each ticket. You just take multiple chances. Playing more than one ticket does not increase your odds.

Actually, each ticket bought, lessons the odds to winning by one.

[CharlesA]

Here's a good explanation of why buying more than one ticket doesn't really help much (unless you buy a ton of them).

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56691.html

[Toz]

Actually, each ticket bought, lessons the odds to winning by one.

At the time you buy it, yes. At the time of the draw, each ticket has the same odds.

[Irihapeti]

You may be able to get her to change, but it would mean taking a completely different tack from the one which most people look for – which is probably the ultimate logical argument that will get her to realise that she's wrong. In this case, it seems to be about the odds of winning.

She's doing it for a reason which makes sense to her on some level. Find out what that reason is. To find out, you might have to listen without judging, which usually isn't easy. You could start by asking, "If you win the lottery, what would you get that you currently don't? And what would that mean to you?" and so on.

Once you have that information, you can work out a way of getting that. A way that works well for both of you. Again, it involves being willing to listen without judging.

E.g. for some people, winning the lottery means not being stuck where they are. Fortunately, there are other ways of getting unstuck that don't involve lottery tickets.

I'm not saying it will be easy. It won't be. Is it worth doing? That's up to you to decide.

[lisati]

Uh good luck?

[CharlesA]

E.g. for some people, winning the lottery means not being stuck where they are. Fortunately, there are other ways of getting unstuck that don't involve lottery tickets.

That's a big part of it. For me, it would give me the ability to pay off debts and stuff, but I'll throw a buck or two on the lotto every now and then, but not with any regularity.

The listening without judging part is hard for some people too.