It is absurd but for a lot of these people the lottery is their “best bet” at getting out of their current financial situation. Consider too that modern lotteri

It is absurd but for a lot of these people the lottery is their “best bet” at getting out of their current financial situation. Consider too that modern lotteries are structured to give you enough of a dopamine hit that you want to keep playing. So maybe one-half or one-third of time you “win” back your $1 or $5 bet. I wonder whether those small-potato lottery prizes are factored in to their calculation of a player’s “income”.