All over the world, dishonest governments are using the lottery (the big prize) to finance the budget.
BTW, I'm curious if you know how such dishonest governments as the german and french steal the jackpot ...
1. Think about how many people scrape together a few dollars that could be used to better their family's condition. Kind of like Evita the musical. The lottery: A voluntary tax on the mathematically challenged.
2. Just because a relative or neighbor becomes wealthy does not allow us to put a claim on that wealth. What sort of man asks for help unless he is starving? I can see how a peer acquiring great wealth could put a strain on the relationship, but I wonder about the people who surrounded this man. I see no pleasure in spending another man's money.
I've never bought a lotter ticket nor will I ever purchase vanity license plates just for that reason. Gambling and bumper stickers belong in the private sector - not in the State Governments.