People have been participating in lotteries since ancient times. Lottery slips have been found dating back to the Chinese Han Dynasty, which was between 205 and 187 BC. People are drawn to lotteries because they promote the dream and hope of winning a large sum of money. Even people who are low-income participate, thereby increasing the government’s revenues. Here are three reasons why people participate in lotteries:
Lottery winning is a fantasy. There are many people who buy lottery tickets, but they don’t know how to maximize their expected value. Although lottery purchases do come with a cost, many people still purchase them because they love the fantasy of becoming rich. The price of lottery tickets is higher than the expected value of the prize, but the thrill of playing the lottery is worth it, so it’s not a bad idea to try your luck.
While most of the world’s lotteries were created in the modern era, European lotteries have more ancient roots. In the early 1500s, France’s King Francis I enacted public lotteries to raise money for defense and poor people. France’s King Francis I also encouraged the concept, and many towns in France held their first public lotteries between 1520 and 1539. In the Italian city-state of Modena, the d’Este family permitted a lottery that offered prizes of 4304 florins. This would amount to approximately $170,000 in 2014 dollars.
Despite these reasons, one in three Americans believes that the only way to retire comfortably is to win the lottery. These are absurd ideas, but there are strategies for financial security that don’t rely on blind luck. Unlike the lottery, strategies for financial security don’t rely on “winning” numbers – they rely on discipline. After all, it’s much safer to ride a bicycle than swim with sharks. Luckily, these methods do work – and you may want to give them a try.