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Community Corner

Mega Millions Fever: Are We Lottery Suckers?

One report says the Peach State spent $3.4 billion on lottery tickets last year.

OK, admit it.

Many of us have dreamed of what we would do if we ever hit the lottery.

And with the Mega Millions jackpot hitting $640 million — yes, more than a HALF-BILLION dollars for Friday's drawing (a world lottery record!), there's likely a whole lot of dreaming going on this week.

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You can expect long lines at lottery outlets today, especially in Georgia.

But are we suckers for the lottery?

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One reports suggests that Georgians may be the biggest suckers in the U.S. for playing the lottery.

Bloomberg looked at the lottery-spending habits across the country to establish its "Sucker Index," which correlated lottery expenditures, actual winnings and overall income. The index was based on 2010 statistics.

Georgia was No. 1 on the "Sucker Index," a score that divided total personal income by ticket sales minus prize money awarded.

The report said Georgians spent $3.4 billion on lottery tickets last year ($470 per adult), around one percent of their annual income. The return was only about 62 cents per dollar.

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