[Kirkwood]

"To a mathematician, the lottery is a game where those who don't play have essentially the same odds of winning as those who do -- none."

Note the qualifier. I hate when otherwise smart people do this only to make themselves look superior to everyone else, but aren't willing to tell the complete truth.

The fact is that you do have a chance. A slim one, but still the chance exists. I can say with certainty that if you don't play, you will not be a winner. I can also say with certainty that there will be winners at some cash level in every Powerball lottery drawing and there will be multiple grand prize winners over the course of a year.

[Billthedrill]

Note the qualifier.

Precisely. You absolutely do have a chance of winning any honest lottery. And yes, it's microscopically small but it's greater than 0.

For a time the Washington State lottery was constructed such that you had a one in 7 million chance of winning. Every time the jackpot got over 7 million - and that was fairly often - that one-dollar ticket was actually a valid bet. Your chances weren't any better but the reward was more than commensurate with the investment.

They changed it when it became obvious that was a losing proposition for the state. Mind you, they actually could have run it indefinitely at a loss as long as the interest they made on the principal was greater than the loss. But that sort of obviates the lottery as a method of funding.

It's entertainment. If the emotional lift and the amusement you get when you purchase a ticket at astronomical odds is worth the buck, then by all means play. For me it isn't, and I don't.