The lottery is one of the most famous forms of gambling the world over. With many millions of players from all corners of the globe, their winnings are frequently the biggest possible in the gambling world. One Lotto event has inspired this article.

The max payout in French Lotto has not yet been claimed, and so the country could soon be looking at a first division prize which exceeds the equivalent of R100 million. Of course, being in South Africa, we can’t get our hands on that particular jackpot, but we will look at a way you can get in on the action.

And as we fantasise about winning big, regardless of the division, we’ve recently been talking with our workmates. How would we act if we did take home the big money? What would we first buy? And, to go even further, what does this say about ourselves?

The French Lottery in South Africa?

Wondering about the French lotto winning odds might seem unusual to those unfamiliar with international betting laws, but the situation is actually quite interesting. Players can’t play the Lotto directly but they can internationally bet on the outcome of the French lottery, on a separate level with an identical payout. In other words, while you can’t win the French lottery’s jackpot directly, there is a way you could still win R95 million. But what would you do if you did win a healthy sum?

The Job Situation

Some of us are lucky enough to like our jobs, some even find genuine fulfilment in what their work allows them to do. For most of us, however, work is more of a necessity which we tolerate than anything else. This being the case, how would you approach your work, your boss, and your workmates should you cash out nearly nine digits?

You might call the boss immediately to let them know you’re not coming in again. You could also come in and help your old workmates find a replacement if they were the sort you got along with. Alternatively, you could make a big show of calling out those who slighted you over the years, leaving a job-quitting story for the ages.

Impulse Purchases

With a sudden influx of cash, many of our minds would go solidifying the fact we were now loaded by dropping money on a big purchase. For many of us, this would mean a new car, either in the form of one we always dreamed of or to simply abandon the one we have and hate.

Some of us might pack our bags and head on the first plane to somewhere tropical, or visit family who live a continent away. We could also look at splurging on a huge party, that those closest to us might share in the celebration. A more exciting possibility could come through the fulfilment of a childhood dream. Even if the dream’s ridiculous, R95 million is almost guaranteed to be able to make it happen.

Long-Term Plans

Without a plan, all the lottery wins in the world could be wasted. Rather than end up as one of those stories, some of us could take the time to plan out every step of their new lives, to ensure that their current wins would be enough to sustain them. In this way, a win would act in much the same as a sudden inheritance.

This raises the question of what you might to do get the most bang for your buck. Would you bank it, or look at stocks? You could even take another avenue of investing your winnings into starting a new business, going back to work but pulling in a much higher regular paycheck.
Do you make an attempt to spend half your payout, or do you collect R500,000 a year in interest as your new living wage?

A Personal Question

What a person would do after such a payday is an interesting question and one which many of us would answer different if we were alone or in a group. Such windfalls reveal a lot about who we are, and what parts of our lives which we care about the most.

If nothing else, this is how most of us approach the lottery, as a way to entertain the fantasy of a hypothetically much easier life. So where would you draw these lines, how much would you drop and how much would you save, and how much do you think such an event would change who you are?