That says all that needs saying about the big jackpots for the average guy. 
Winning would be ok if you could keep it secret. But I doubt that’s possible.
With pay-at-the-pump, waiting in a line of lottery ticket buyers generally isn’t a problem for me. Besides that, places other than gas stations sell lottery tickets also. Also, parking in front of a gas pump without buying gas is frowned upon. Most convenience stores have parking spots for non-gas buying customers. If I need to go inside after filling up, I’ll repark my car first so someone else can fill up.
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It is possible, depending on where you live. Some states insist on disclosing the winners while others do not. If you live in a nondisclosure state it is possible to remain anonymous. You’re family and close friends will know of course, but it won’t be public knowledge.
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That would be my biggest worry. My family & friends would very likely get upset if I decided to donate the entire amount toward a cause they didn’t like, or that I donated it to anyone at all, besides them … lol …
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As they say two can keep a secret as long as one of them is dead. I don’t know if Minnesota publishes the name and picture of the winner, I’ve never paid attention. However they do publish the merchant that sold the ticket so that with changes in behavior patterns would make it pretty hard for the info to not leak out. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. If you buy a ticket just be ready to have your life ruined.
Like I said toward the end I was worried I was going to win that 57 thunderbird and have to go to virus infested Boston to get it, and pay the $20,000 in tax, and clean the garage out to fit it in. One chance out of 500 are pretty good odds. Guy down the street a ways won it instead, so close.
We have pay at the pump too, the problem is getting to the pump. BTW, while I was pumping gas one day, I was talking t9o the guy pumping next to me. When he got done, he went inside to get some lottery tickets. I read in the paper the next week that he had won $1 million.
Also one of the three winners of that over $1.5B last year was in the next town over.
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It depends on your state of residence. (Hint: you can’t, but I can, along with a few other forum members)
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Actually, you can in NH and many other states. Before you claim your price, you setup a trust. The reward goes to the trust, and the trust owners are NOT public knowledge. But you have to do this BEFORE you claim your price.
Know the Law: Legal Steps to Take After Winning the Lottery - McLane Middleton
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Yes, don’t sign the ticket and don’t be in a rush to collect your cash! Put the ticket in a safe or safety deposit box and hire a lawyer!
A local just won $1M a year for life. She accepted the big check in person and it made the news. She’s going to have to go into hiding!
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I’ve always said you will know if I win the lottery cause you will think I was abducted by Aliens, cause I will just disappear off the face of the planet it will seem like, other then immediate family… lol
Only problem with that is I would have to play 1st… 
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Reminds me of an old joke:
So, Harry is in desperate financial straits, bills due, tax collector looking for his home, RePo man looking for his car.
He prays, “Please, please, please, God, I really really need to win the big jackpot on the Lottery, PULLHEEZ God!!….”
Suddenly the skies darken, and a lightning bolt shoots out, and then a booming voice:
“OKAY, OKAY, HARRY, I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO…but how about meeting me halfway?…and buy a ticket???
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I try not to wish for anything. My fear is the one time it gets answered is the time I ask for something small- I wish I had another cookie… poof… dang.
Or what if there’s a misunderstanding? Hey, what’s up with that big dude I always see hanging around you playing the piano? It’s a wish that didn’t go as planned. How so? You think I wished for a big Pianist?
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I don’t remember anymore if it was Minnesota or South Dakota, but a guy just disappeared and didn’t come home. His family was worried about his safety and called the sheriff. The sheriff managed to find him and reported back to the family that he was ok, just wanted to be gone. The sheriff refused to reveal his location saying in this country a man has a right to disappear.
Back in the late '30s, my Great Aunt’s husband “went out to buy cigarettes”, and never came back. More than likely, he decided to go back to Canada, but his new “location” was never found.
My gambling career began and ended in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Union Plaza hotel. Mrs. Triedaq and I took Amtrak to Las Vegas and it made a stop at the Union Plaza hotel where we had reservations. While Mrs Triedaq went to the ladies room, I put a penny in the penny slot machine. It returned seven pennies. I always taught my students in the probability classes that I taught that if you get ahead , quit. I was 6 cents ahead so I quit.
If in the mood for a comedy movie, Albert Brook’s “Lost in America” is about a LA couple who decides to leave the rat race, use their life savings to drive around the USA in a mobile home, camper-van sort of thing. When they get to Las Vegas they stay in a hotel, husband takes a nap, only to wake up & discover the wife has lost their entire life savings in the hotel casino, He apparently didn’t know the wife had a gambling problem … lol …
Heh heh. “You lost our nest egg?”. Good show. I stopped by after work one day and was sitting at a slot machine. The guy sitting next to me leans over and says he just met with his accountant and was told that he is a millionaire. I told him just stick around and you won’t be for long. I know there are people down on their luck but I have run across a few that I know have quite a few millions. I don’t like to be seen there but I have seen a few from my town. Just passing the time b,ut from a couple of their estates, ten million would be too low.
But a better story would be - You were 6 TIMES your initial investment ahead.
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Believe it or not - it’s NOT that hard. 401k contributions after 35 years can easily make you a millionaire by the time you’re 65.
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