Luck of the Draw: True-Life Tales of Lotteries and Their Winners

Contributor to newspapers and magazines in Canada, Britain and United States on travel- and transportation themes.

Author: Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific's greatest ship (Erin: Boston Mills, 1992).

Reviewer for CBRA since 1993.

Canadians have been buying lottery tickets for more than 20 years and
quite a few have become overnight millionaires. This book recounts their
emotions on learning the news, how they spent (or saved) their winnings,
and how the money affected their lives. It also provides practical
advice: some lotteries offer better odds than others; being part of a
group improves your likelihood of winning (but first get the group’s
agreement down on paper); don’t buy tickets in your children’s
names. Lotteries have been a revenue bonanza for governments; Gudgeon
briefly reviews how the games are devised and how the money has been
spent. His highly readable text (unfortunately marred by numerous
spelling errors) is interspersed with anecdotes, trivia, and quotations,
all of which throw light on government-run lotteries. Chances are that
you will never win the 6/49 lottery, but it’s a safe bet that you will
enjoy this entertaining and enlightening guide.