I don’t blame anyone who’s bought a lottery ticket recently for being upset about the glitch that kept many participants from winning. When you think about it, though, is that really all that different from usual? Regular lottery customer Robert Johnson was referring to the recent error, but he could just as easily have been describing lotteries in general:

“That’s a whole lot of money. A lot of people lost a lot of money.”

I’m not opposed to lotteries on ethical grounds, but I do think they contribute to reduced wealth for many low-income families and individuals. Each adult citizen has the right to determine how to use the money they earn, but a disproportionate number of people who are struggling to make ends meet spend significant percentages of their money on lotteries each month. In the long run, I believe this adds up to a lot of poorer non-winners and a tiny fraction of lucky ones. Isn’t that how a lottery is supposed to work?

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