That's my American dream right there.   Still buy lotto tickets as often as I can, hoping and dreaming.  The only way to get rich nowdays other than those is start a business and hope you are not part of the 66%+ failures.  Then hope you make it rich off said business which is probably not even 1% of that.

What lotto? You must travel out of state often.

When I lived in Vegas for five years, we went to the casinos to go to the movies and bowling and stuff. I rarely played the tables. I would put $20 in the Megabucks machine and play max bet because I wanted the millions not nickles and dimes. Over the years, I figure I probably came out a little bit ahead. You often hear stories of people winning a $300 jackpot but what they don't tell you is that they likely spent $300 to get there.

That's the lotto mentality.  A windfall due to a lawsuit, inheritance or hitting the Mega Bucks Jackpot is the American Dream to many.  No preparation or effort required.

Right time / right place.

That would be nice and why I used to play the lotto as well as machines like Megabucks and Wheel of Fortune.  While it would certainly be nice to win something like that, I don't depend or count on it.  I'm not saying that there are people that really count on it, but just the allure of "get rich quick" that can get people in trouble or give them an excuse not to work.  Even if I hit something big, I would still have to find something productive to do with my time. 

It just bothers me when people count on or expect things from others without any effort of their own.   

What lotto? You must travel out of state often.

When I lived in Vegas for five years, we went to the casinos to go to the movies and bowling and stuff. I rarely played the tables. I would put $20 in the Megabucks machine and play max bet because I wanted the millions not nickles and dimes. Over the years, I figure I probably came out a little bit ahead. You often hear stories of people winning a $300 jackpot but what they don't tell you is that they likely spent $300 to get there.

All of my friends and relatives who live in Vegas either rarely gamble or have to be very disciplined on gambling.  I used to go 2-3 times a year and each time had a set budget.  I'd have to be careful if I lived there.  Gambling, better shooting opportunities, etc.