Because everynow and then, when your luck hits bottom, you hope that you'll get a winner (a real one to boot). Sometimes just winning 15 bucks in a scratch off can be seen a small blessing.

And also he might have had some pocket change. No harm in spending it on a ticket here and there. Not everyone pinches every penny they get thinking it'll add up.

Charlie treated himself to two chocolate bars in his whole life, and won a trip to the chocolate factory. Not all people who buy scratch offs spend a ton of money. Buying one here or there isn't going to take away from his rent or kids education.

You'd probably do the same.

C'mon, man, your ignorance is showing. Just because this person's circumstances aren't as fortunate as yours doesn't make you the better human being. All of you with same attitude have obviously never had to worry about where your next meal comes from and dreamed of having a better life than what they could provide for their families.

Playing the lottery generally only costs a dollar: Wouldn't you spend a dollar if it brought some tiny measure of hope to your family? This guy's only foolishness was in putting the proverbial horse before the cart and making plans for money he didn't already have in his possession.

One word answer: desperation,

With dreams of hitting it big so he can sent his children to college and get out of the basement.

I love people who can judge without knowing true facts. Sad your not in this family's shoes.

Because Ontario, like all states and provinces, targets the poorest of the poor to buy its tickets. The vast majority of state-sponsored lottery tickets are sold to people who make under $10,000 (US) per year. Advertisements are aimed at the poorest neighborhoods. There are more sales outlets in poor sections. The very poorest people account for 65% of lottery ticket sales across the board. Why? So the rest of us won't have to pay taxes to support education and/or social services for the elderly. Welcome to lottery financing, where the state (you and I) exploits people who can least afford it by lying to them, telling them that they actually have a chance to improve their lot and win money -- against incredible (and often impossible) odds. Just think, your sons and daughters can get their education thanks to hundreds of thousands of poor welfare slobs hopelessly trying to gamble their way out of poverty. Hope it makes you all feel good.

Sometimes the lottery has better odds than real life, dude.

WE ALL LIKE TO DREAM!

Can we get away with that here in the states ? If so, I think I'm gonna cook up a lottery scheme with a bunch of winners then claim they were all misprints. Sounds to me like thats what's going on here.

All I have to say is thanks for paying my college tuition. Lottery has paid for all of my college tuition through the lottery scholarship. Wonderful thing that is! All I had to do was keep my GPA above 3.0 and have school paid for!

HELLO ever been there that 1 you thought about getting a pop with might be your ticket outta hell

Everyone is missing the point here The lottery Commission should have honored those tickets even as misprints. They have massive amounts of money and this would have been excellent publicity not to mention making the winners happy. It would have been certain from the publicity that they would have sold far more tickets
However I come from Canada and left the country 28 years ago because of the same reason the lottery commission will not honor the tickets Its the government They are socialists and I would rather live in Russia then in Canada So it is not suprising that the Lotto Commission is thinking through the wrong end of their body

i THINK IT'S FUN TRYING TO WIN SOME WXTRA CASH. BUT WHEN YOUR CHEATED, THE LOTTERY SHOULD MAKE RESTUTION OF SOME KIND. OHIO LOTTERY DID THE SAME ON NEW YEARS EVE RAFFLE DRAWING. EMIGNE HOW A 1/2 MILLION PEOPLE FELT WHEN THE NUMBERS WEREN'T EVEN DRAWN ON LIVE T.V. 20$ TICKETS AT THAT. I FOR ONE WAS P.O'D.SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIVE WHERE EVERYONE COULD SEE WHO WINNER WAS. SO I DONT BLAME THE CANDIAN FELLOW. FIGHT FOR WHAT'S RIGHT!!!

Yeah, you'd think so....do they at least get a replacement ticket?

I agree Peg, seems they should be compensated at some level. I wonder if they even got their dollar back.

I totally agree with you, they should give these people some compensation "Money". Say, "A couple thousand dollars for their trouble".
People have to dream! Many of these jobs for the unskilled only pay 8-10 dollars an hour, and that won't get anyone out the basement quick!!!!!!!! Darn shame! My heart go out to these people who thought they won.
They should all plus more, boy cott the lottery there for being so heartless, then see how many get the free ride off the poor!