Friend gave away $250,000 scratch-off ticket

[Jenn! 918]

If I were so lucky, I don't think I'd give the person who gave me the ticket cash, but a nice gift - like Mags said, a car maybe, or a nice vacation. As much as I'd like to deny it, I would probably "expect" something like that if I were the one to gift the ticket, but I would never express that, just be hopeful.

[mawilson 2,133]

$250,000? Not worth it after taxes.

[sereia 0]

thats a tough one! first of all, i don't think i'd ever give someone a lottery ticket for a gift (for this reason alone!!!) but if they gave me one and i won... i'd probably take them on a really awesome vacation somewhere. i don't see why you should split it if it were a gift. if you went in on it together like a pool okay...but a gift? no. i'd do something really nice for them for sure!

[lucyrich 20]

It doesn't become worth much until after it's determined to be a winner.

If I gave you a dollar, would you feel like you owed me much?

If I gave you a dollar and you spent that dollar on a lottery ticket, does that change anything? If the ticket you bought won $250,000, does that change anything? Personally, I don't think so. I just gave you a dollar is all.

If I was the one who made the purchase, and gave you the ticket instead of the dollar, to me, it's still the same thing. After all, if the ticket turned out to be worthless (which it probably would), you wouldn't think I gave you absolutely nothing, zilch, nada. What I gave you was a slim chance. What it cost me was a dollar. And when I gave you the chance, I unconditonally gave you the entire dollar's worth of chance, all winnings and all losings.

There's no skill involved in picking lottery numbers; it's just luck. If I picked the ticket that happened to win for you, I don't deserve any credit; likewise if I picked a losing number for you, I don't deserve blame.

If, in the same trip to the store, I bought two lottery tickets, and kept one for me and gave one to you, I'd still feel the same way. If my ticket won, I'd keep all the winnings and not give them to you because you "almost" won $250,000. And if your ticket won, I'd expect you to keep all the winnings and not give them to me just because I "almost" won $250,000.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

I'll be happy for her. I remembered giving away all the inheritance $$money$$ I got to my sister. She wasn't even thankful but I have no regrets nor do I feel bad. I feel lucky everyday anyway

[MissStacey 1]

Aw- I am so sad that I won't be home for Christmas this year!!

Every Christmas Eve- my dad gets us all a package of scratch and win tickets. We sit around the table and scratch them. Of course- he does sit around the table too and watch us all like a hawk to see if we win anything.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's rather an odd gift, but think about it.

The person spends $30 dollars on a gift that's potentially worthless (no winning tickets) worth something, but not very much, or worth thousands. If you give the gift and are miffed that the gift turns out to be worth thousands, aren't you giving the gift for the wrong reasons? Would you rather the gift was worthless or worth a few bucks?

A really odd thing to think you are entitled to any of it really.

[Emancipation 2]

It's rather an odd gift, but think about it.

The person spends $30 dollars on a gift that's potentially worthless (no winning tickets) worth something, but not very much, or worth thousands. If you give the gift and are miffed that the gift turns out to be worth thousands, aren't you giving the gift for the wrong reasons? Would you rather the gift was worthless or worth a few bucks?

A really odd thing to think you are entitled to any of it really.

Great post!

[Minya's wife 24]

I would be tempted to do something like this...

Edited December 19, 2007 by Paula&Minya

[LuzyC 0]

I'd be happy for the person, and jokingly tell them they just need to have me over for dinner.

Then, when I'm at their house, I chloroform them and steal their personal documents/information while they are unconscious. I then proceed with stealing their identity and transferring money from their bank account to my offshore account somewhere.

Nobody would suspect a thing....

:lol: