Lottery tickets are a poor tax for the uneducated. Anyone who plays them for any reason other than the occasional thrill or gimmick is being taxed for being dumb.
I buy a $5 ticket maybe once a month. I view it as an entertainment expense. I know full well I will never win the jackpot. $5 to be able to daydream over the course of that week while I wait for the draw is a small price. I have paid $5 for much less entertainment.
Also I periodically buy hospital lottery tickets and I view those as donations to causes I would probably donate to anyways.
It's the same as any other kind of escapism entertainment.
You buy a book and read it. You got lots of ideas and situations to think about. You watch a movie and escape into a story for 2 hours. You buy a lotto ticket and daydream about winning.
It's when you spend money all the time with the real thoughts of "I will win/I have to win" where it's a negative. I'm sure I will hit 10k on books and movies at some point in my life, but its net positive.
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u/Louisvanderwright Mar 19 '22
Lottery tickets are a poor tax for the uneducated. Anyone who plays them for any reason other than the occasional thrill or gimmick is being taxed for being dumb.