Jackpots are too high in lotteries

Congratulations to Clifford Britch, the 70year-old Kelowna man who is now $16.7 million richer after winning the Lotto 6/49 draw.

He purchased the winning ticket at Orchard Park Mall in Kelowna.

He’s the kind of guy we’re all happy to see win a lottery.

For fear of sounding bitter because none of us won the lottery — or even a free replay — the lottery corporation should consider capping the top prize at $1 million.

Winning a major sweepstake is life-changing and, in some cases, life-ruining. Mr. Britch appears to be well-grounded, but others haven’t been as fortunate.

We’ve all read stories of lottery winners who become distant from their families, lose friends, get screwed out of money on fake investments, or who get sued. There’s also the office lottery pools, where disqualified players end up suing their co-workers.

When you buy a lottery ticket, you’re buying the chance to dream and fantasize.

Using the latest jackpot as an example, if there were 16 prizes of $1 million offered — or 40 prizes of $1 million when the jackpot reaches $40 million — that’s 16 families that can benefit from new-found wealth, without the risk of destroying their lives.

In the U.S., with Powerball, the amount of money that can be won is obscene.

With large jackpots, it could be easier for an individual to become hooked on gambling.

An old acquaintance of mine, several years ago, won $90,000 on a scratch-and-win. A mother of six children (all young adults), she and her husband paid off some minor debts, bought a car, and took all six of their kids on a holiday cruise. They had never been able to afford a decent family vacation.

The money was gone in one shot, but with it came tremendous happiness and lifelong memories.

With huge line-ups at lottery kiosks whenever the jackpot is large, chances are the majority of lottery players would disagree with this suggestion.