My email inbox for the past few weeks has been filled with messages about the great, big, fat lottery prizes that were just waiting to be won.
They included a $70 million Lotto Max jackpot, a number that propelled many people to buy lottery tickets when they normally wouldn’t.
That’s a psychology research project that is just begging to happen.
Well, then weeks went by and nobody won the ginormous $70 million Lotto Max jackpot and I saw chatter on social media as people questioned if it was really worth buying tickets when so many others were flocking to buy them. I also saw people lamenting about how nobody had won the big prize and that it felt frustrating.
And then, after going unclaimed for weeks, the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot has finally been won.
One ticket sold in British Columbia – Kamloops - and one in Ontario will share the grand prize, each taking $35 million in Tuesday night's draw.
In addition, there are 46 Maxmillion prize winners. Twenty-one winning tickets were sold in Ontario, 11 in B.C., 10 in Quebec and four in the Prairies.
The jackpot for the next draw on June 25 will be an estimated $50 million, with two Maxmillion prizes of $1 million each up for grabs.
Well, it’s about time someone won the big enchilada.
Look, here’s something you need to know about lotteries. People aren’t just interested in winning – they are interested when somebody else wins.
I’ve seen the analytics for stories about lottery winners. People love reading about other folks winning big. It feels like one of the few times people aren’t jealous of somebody else’s success. We all get to share collectively in someone else’s good fortune.
And then most of us go back to dreaming about if we can win and get some good news in our lives after so many months of COVID-19 misery.
Something just feels good about how we cheer on others who have won.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
