Originally Posted by
Flatballer
The worst outcome is basically that you're donating to your state for the less fortunate. Since you're able to afford that, I don't know why anyone would have a problem with you playing. You realize the odds, you're in control, you enjoy it, you're literally the model for someone who should be playing the lottery.
The people who shouldn't be playing the lottery are the ones who don't have the money to spare to start with, play more than they can afford, are relying on it for their retirement, etc. Unfortunately they make up a large percentage of the money coming in.
When I used to work in an office (one job and one global pandemic ago) they'd play weekly, and I'd usually toss a few bucks in the pool when it got high enough that the odds sort of worked (still not really, because of splits).
I worked with a guy who played the various lotto options 3 or 4 times per week. He always had a pool going for the bigger games and sometimes I would chip in a couple dollars but he was relentless. I know he put in at least $200 a month and if he hit some small payout he would be very proud. The weirdest part was that he was convinced he was going to win big eventually.
He was financially pretty well off which made it surprising that he was so consumed by it. Maybe he just needed a hobby.