5 dolla Monopoly

This is a story based off a real lotto scratch off game called a “$5 Monopoly” – but maybe a bit hyperbolic for storytelling effect –

A lot of things – and things we sell people – rely on nostalgia. There is an entire multi-billion dollar industry on playing on the feeling nostalgia. as the person who maybe once every month buys a $2 lotto scratch off, I usually don’t play $5 Monopolies as I find it to be an irresponsible use of money if i’m not satisfying some insatiable urge to play a scratch off, which I suppose $2 tickets could fix; never won more than $4.

Before we get into $5 Monopolies and glorify gambling, I wanna talk a bit about an embarrassing loss; there’s redemption at the end, and this is a serious Trigger Warning – to stop here if you have a gambling addiction; you’ll read anyway, but I don’t take responsibility for loose language glorifying gambling ⛔️

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This is a self promotion: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2PNJFZW0IZBX7 <—”Angle or Develed liquids” your choice in if you want to enable my caffeine addiction, or get me meal replacement drinks. Why? Because please and thank you🙏

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So i go into the gas station and ask for any $2 lotto; well, they give me a $3 and scam me out of $1. It was the crossword one, and now, I think i’ve successfully played that game once in a video game – I gave up and went to the store and said to the guy: “The game is too hard. Can you scan it and see if I won?”

he scans it: “Sorry, you lost”

“oh,..” and I don’t gamble for like 2 months. Well, I end up in a situation where I witness a girl stab herself with scissors (i’m sure you can imagine she wasn’t hurt, but) it kind of traumatized me a bit. Over what? I wouldn’t give her not only every dollar i had, but my coins as well for cigarettes. She gets taken to the mental hospital, I’m just kind of in shock.

To cope I used the $5 that would have gone to her cigarettes for a $5 Monopoly… I side a 5 dollar paper Lincoln on the counter and say: “Five dolla Monopoly” and when the cashier hears those words, he knows I mean business, he knows i’m more than just a Goldrush player, he knows i’m one step from gambling addiction (which I am, but I cope rather well). I’m the VIP customer in the room when i’m buying a $5 Monopoly; a VIC, I dare say.

Well I scratch… Wow! I won my money back right away – that’s closure enough for me, to be honest losing would have made me pretty miserable that day. Then 2 more! I won $15!! I’m showing my mom and she’s like “Wait you won $20” and I start freaking out even more. Then I show my dear friend and she says “No, you won $25!!!” I go ballistic.

After admiring the card until i’m positive with absolute certainty that I won $25 I take it back to the gas station. “I won $25, do I cash that in here?” obviously never having won that much.

He plays along: “Well let’s see if you’re a winner…” the Florida Lotto winning music plays, “actually you won $26” wink. I ask if I can get a $20 and two $2.50 snack cakes, he probably just discounted the snack cakes to $2, but also he gave me a $20 bill and a $1 along with a bag for my snack cakes I carried home with pride, and shared with my friend that helped me through the PTSD moments.

My belief – and I honestly think he was just trying to hook me on gambling – was that he gave me the $1 to make up for the time he scammed me out of the $1 playing lotto. Heck, maybe both.