> a few years ago Megabucks (Wisconsin lottery) was above pot odds even after taxes and with the cash payout option This happens more often than you'd think. F

> a few years ago Megabucks (Wisconsin lottery) was above pot odds even after taxes and with the cash payout option This happens more often than you'd think. For example, eyeballing it, it looks like Indiana's Cash 5 lottery has a positive expected value right now, but I haven't broken out my detailed calculator to confirm. The other major things you need to account for are the likelihood of splitting the jackpot with other winners, the fact that most people have non-linear utility functions, and the cost of logistics. (This last one may not seem too important, but if you buy more than 10 or so tickets, it becomes readily apparent that the time spent checking whether a ticket is a winner can add up.)