You can’t win if you don’t play: “A Dutch woman who claimed she suffered emotional damages due to not winning the lottery missed the jackpot in court too. Amsterdam District Court judges Wednesday rejected the claim of Helene de Gier, who said she was traumatized by not winning the country’s National Postcode Lottery, which she didn’t enter, while her neighbors did.” DeGier said one lucky neighbor had rubbed in his good luck by showing off a new Porsche, and claimed lottery ads had engaged in “emotional blackmail” by suggesting that non-entrants like herself might be sorry afterward. (AP/IHT, Reuters).
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“In addition, she said the lottery uses advertisements that amount to “emotional blackmail,” because they emphasize the regret people who do not participate will feel when their neighbors win.”
So in fact she was properly warned that her failure to play might cause the very feelings that she now complains of feeling. Unhappy with her own informed decision she wants the state to remove all personal decision and enroll all in the lottery as a fully socialized gambling system.
The damages should be the expected value of playing. I.E, (cost of entry) – (jackpot)(chance of winning)
So at the end of everything, she’ll have to pay like .4 Euros.
The decision should be one sentence: “You snooze . . . you lose.”
I’m waiting for the followup blog post: Dutch Woman Loses Suit Over Not Winning Lottery
Same woman, naturally.