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I think the key difference there is that when you participate in a lottery you know - or can obtain - the odds of a payout up-front. Ponzi schemes by definitio

I think the key difference there is that when you participate in a lottery you know - or can obtain - the odds of a payout up-front. Ponzi schemes by definition hide the fact that there's any risk of non-payment, that's why it's fraud, and illegal, and immoral.

unclebucknasty 13y ago
>Ponzi schemes by definition hide the fact that there's any risk of non-payment Ponzi schemes in general, yes. But, I was referring to this one, wherein it was out in the open. >when you participate in a lottery you know - or can obtain - the odds of a payout up-front Technically, yes. But, the odds in some games are so astronomical that knowing them is basically a non-factor. That is, people play completely hoping to get lucky, but not really expecting to win. I think the same applies with a Ponzi scheme like this one, wherein it's known that the music could stop playing anytime and the participants are simply hoping to get lucky.