bears den,

I have good or bad news for you depending on how you look at it. There are separate pools for residents and non-residents with the former getting most of the permits. The fact that a non-resident can purchase many more chances than a resident has no bearing on the odds of a resident getting picked. All it is is an attempt by the state to squeeze a few extra bucks from non-residents. By the way, Pygmy is right, buying extra preference points won't appreciably change your chances of winning unless.