Q:
If you hit a huge jackpot like Megabucks, would you allow yourself to be photographed and used for publicity purposes, or would you choose to keep the win anonymous? And why?
A:
Analysis
Not only a massive response vote-wise, but we also got well over a hundred emails explaining why you voted "yes" or "no." While we weren't surprised by the landslide victory for the "nos," there were a lot of people who voted "yes" and told us why. Here are some of the highlights, plus some LVA staffers' thoughts on the subject. Thanks to all for taking the time to take part.
NO
- "There are simply too many charities and unscrupulous individuals out there and I don’t want to be a target."
- "I voted no because I wouldn’t want to be stopped by everyone who sees the pic. and recognized me and asked about it over and over again. I’m not really a person who likes to talk about themselves."
- "I look horrible in pictures."
- "I voted ‘no’ because when I was younger, I used to want to be rich and famous. Now, I just want to be rich and anonymous!"
- "I'd definitely stay anonymous if I could. My husband and I won $625,000 on state lottery jackpot a few months ago and the only people we told were family. Coworkers, neighbors and acquaintances weren't told. We just felt that people would not treat us the same if they knew we had won that much money."
- "If I was being paid to advertise it might be a different story, but I paid $2 a spin, it wasn't free. So, no thanks on the photo op!"
- "I voted no because that kind of money would be new to me and I'd have enough problems getting used to it without having all the publicity with the resulting wave of people wanting me to share or buy their product."
- "Too many horror stories of big winners whose lives ended poorly."
- "Never mind the people that I don't know, who are ready to pounce the moment I hit Megabucks, Members of MY OWN family are a bunch of thieving vultures!! No way would I let ANYONE know I won the jackpot!"
YES"I would allow it as I have one of the most miserable faces on Earth and people would think... boy if that loser can hit a jackpot, then anyone can."
"[I would] allow my win to be advertised. Why? So that when people I know or even don’t know want to borrow money, I could ask them, ‘where you when I didn’t have any? Now you can kiss my you-know-what!’
"I’d want everyone in the world to know I won Megabucks. I’m not worried about people hounding me for money or investment opportunities. I’m a ‘pit bull’ when it comes to getting rid of unwanted solicitations. I already know how I would spend and invest the money."
"I think that it would get out anyway, so might as well have fun with the attention."
"I have nothing to hide and Uncle Sam is going to get his portion no matter what. I could call it my 15 minutes of fame."
I voted Yes! I'm 72 years old, so why not? I would get a lawyer, accountant, and a new cell phone and not give out my new phone number to anyone."
"I am a YES!!! I've always dreamed of being in the back page of Strictly Slots magazine with my funny life-changing story. (My boyfriend -- soon to be husband -- says ‘no’...too many people coming to try and get money from from you. We are having our Vegas wedding in June but I doubt that we will have to worry about this problem...lol. But thanks for asking -- good question."
Some LVA Staff Feedback
- "I'd disappear off the face of the planet. For the obvious reason that friends and relatives I never had would suddenly appear." (Gary – Bookkeeper)
- "No way...because I value my privacy and I'd be concerned about identity theft and scam artists." (Lori – Research Assistant)
- "No, because I don't want my face plastered all over a casino that I might have or want to go back to." (Boston – Shipping)
- "Absolutely not. I take my cue from the book I Did It: My Life After Megabucks by John Tippin, a cautionary tale, if there ever was one, about re
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