It was probably early 1994. My secretary came into my office and asked me for two dollars. “What’s this for?” I said – reaching in my pocket for some bills. “We’re playing the lottery!” she said. I’d never done that but – trying to be a good guy – I gave her two bucks. The next week it was the same thing “Scott – give me two dollars.” And I did. Every week for more than a year.

It was 7:50 a.m. on July 13, 1995. I was in my office – talking on the phone with Tom L – a lawyer in Huntsville, Texas. I sat with my feet on my desk – talking with Tom about a case. Suddenly two secretaries stood at my door – laughing and squealing. “Hang up the phone,” they said. I thought – this is unusual – and said “Tom – can you hold on a minute.” I put him on hold and asked “what’s going on?” They replied “have you heard?” I said “heard what?” And they laughed “YOU WON THE LOTTERY!!” And I started to hear yelling down the hall. After ending my conversation with Tom, I learned that our lottery group – 14 of us (2 attorneys and 12 secretaries) – had won the Illinois State Lottery – all 6 numbers – to the tune of $4.4 million. Divided 14 ways – and payable over the course of 20 years. It was still a nice chunk (you can do the math) and fortunately it wasn’t enough that anyone retired.

Some weeks later, lottery people came to our office and presented our group with a massive cardboard “check” for $4.4 million. It was billed as the “highest lottery payout” in history. The reason? Our office was on the 85th floor of Sears Tower. . . . .

(A repeat from January 4, 2015) In 1996, 14 members of my old law firm won the Illinois State Lottery.  All six numbers on a Wednesday night drawing.  $4.4 million over 20 years divided 14 ways.  I was one of two attorneys to participate (you can do the math).   My secretary had asked me for two dollars (okay). No one retired. . . .

I still play a $1.00 Lotto ticket to the tune of $104 a year.  For yucks.   Same family numbers each week.  I win a few bucks here and there but so far, lightning has not struck twice.  Why?  The odds of winning are one in 20,358,520.  The odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 175,223,510.

I’ve always thought that states could reap a huge windfall of tax money by taking a new approach.  Instead of picking 6 or 7 numbers (between 1 and 52 or whatever) – pick one single number between 1 and 175,223,510.  You’re gonna have a lot of people picking “711” or their birth year or their child’s birthday (1252007).  But how many people will pick 12 or 147,996 or 174,224,011?   You probably won’t have many who pick in the stratosphere of numbers.  And yet — the odds remain the same.  What will happen?  The quick answer — no one will win.  State coffers will overflow.  And politicians will have to think up new ways to waste money. 

As for me, I’m gonna play 106,228,003.  And take it to the bank.  Ka-ching ka-ching . . . . .