In Tough Times, Lottery Offers Hope

Aliquippa, Pa., Nov. 12, 2008— -- It's another Saturday morning in Pennsylvania, and Rick and Sheyda Belli dream of getting rich quick.

Like many families suffering in this soft economy, the Bellis spend money on lottery games.

"I look at it as a shot, a chance, a ray of hope," said Sheyda Belli, 38. "People say you're wasting your money, could put it in a savings account, but, you know, somebody wins every day."

Every Saturday morning they head off looking for that pot of lottery gold, driving past the doughnut shop they used to visit.

"That was about $40 a week. Just trying to cut back everywhere that we can really, but still not giving up playing my lottery," Sheyda said, laughing.

The drive to the Beaver Valley Mall is a family ritual in which their kids, 2-year-old Cheyenne, 4-year-old Alexander, and 6-year-old Amber, ride the tiny train for $2 a ticket.

With what's left in Rick's wallet, mom and dad head for the kiosk that peddles powerful fantasies: the chance at $640,000 in the Cash 5 jackpot and the $52 million Powerball prize.

Sheyda plays both games and also buys a scratch-off ticket, for total winnings of $24. The scratch-off cards provide the satisfaction of an instant answer, but nothing else.

Trying to Beat the Odds

The odds against those winning big-money games are astronomical.

Cash 5 players have a one in 962,958 chance of winning the top prize, and the Powerball odds are even worse (one out of more than 146 million).

The Bellis justify their bet with a historical fact: Ten years ago, at this very kiosk, another couple won big.

"For me, it solidifies that you can win," Sheyda said. "It builds up my hopes a little more."

Such hopes, despite the staggering odds, send the Belli family on a 30-mile drive west to Ohio, to a gas station right across the state line where they play Mega-Millions, a multistate game. The odds are even worse than for Powerball.

The Mega-Millions jackpot is $16 million, but the odds of winning are one in 175 million. These are daunting numbers, but as Sheyda said, "Ohio wins a lot."

Upswing in Lotto Ticket Sales

Housing is in a slump, jobs are disappearing and the stock market is tumbling. But 29 of the 42 states with lotteries are seeing sales jump. At least 25 have set new records for the fiscal year.

Illinois sold more than $2 billion worth for the first time in their lottery's 33-year history.

When asked if it's truly a smart thing for people to buy lotto tickets in a bad economy, Jody Winnett, acting superintendent Illinois Lottery, said she couldn't judge the players, but the lottery does offer "fun, exciting products with a chance for a little upside."

Yale psychologist Emily Haisley said one study suggested that buying a lotto ticket counteracts any negative feelings that come from feeling poor, or financially behind.

"The purchase of the lottery ticket can temporarily take them away from that negative feeling and let them have the hope of winning big," she said.

Hoping for a Win

The Bellis spend up to $100 a week on the lottery, amounting to about $5,200 a year. It's a lot of money considering that Rick recently lost his job, cutting the family's annual income by nearly half to $67,000.

But on the very day that Rick, 39, got "downsized" he said he stopped on the way home and bought a lottery ticket.

"And it worked!" Rick said. "I bought a $10 lottery ticket and won $100."

Most of the extended Belli family buys into the lottery dream, including Rick's mom, Jean Belli.

"I think if you all have the same dream, like we have the dream that if we would win big, we could help the kids out," she said.

But Sheyda's dad, Grant Jackson, disagrees.

"Put the money in the bank," he told them. "There is no guarantee you're going win."

Every weekend the family gathers together to watch the results. One weekend in late October the Cash 5 game was not a complete loss.

"I think I got my money back, if not some more," Sheyda said.

Much later that night, the Powerball drawing offered one last glimmer of possibility. But in the end, they weren't winners.

"We'll just need better luck next time," Sheyda said. "Oh well."

It was another disappointment, but for the Bellis hope springs eternal.

"Sometimes that's all you have when everything else has fallen down around you. When you're down, the only way to go is up. So, hopefully, that will be us," Sheyda explained.

In the Belli household, hard times are simply no match for sweet dreams.