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The Thought Show: How Lucky are Regular Lottery Winners

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Life Stories

07/12/2017 GMT

How Lucky are Regular Lottery Winners

BBC World Service - The Thought Show, How Lucky are Regular Lottery Winners

What are the chances of multiple wins on the Lottery or scrathc cards?

How likely are the multiple wins of US lottery and scratch card players? Plus, we talk to one person snared by Twitter’s new anti-abuse rule. And why endure initiation ceremonies?

Over the last decade journalists in the US have been suspicious of the number of people who seem to have won multiple prizes on scratch cards and the lottery. We hear from a reporter and statistician who poured over data across a number of states to work out the chances of multiple wins.
 
What happens when Twitter is your favourite platform but the company then suspends or terminates your account? The new Twitter rules meant one ‘black Twitter’ user was banned – along with many of his online friends.

Coming of age rituals, hazing at universities or entrance rites into secretive organisations -  initiations are present in every culture around the world. They are often secretive and can involve horrific ordeals, so why do people put up with the pain?

(Photo: A customer purchasing lottery tickets at a store in San Lorenzo, California. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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