How Does The Lottery Affect The Average Person

Lotteries Mislead the Average Person

Lotteries hurt the average person, because buying a lottery ticket is “no different than putting a hundred or a thousand dollars in a slot machine” (Steinberg). They are usually misled by the hope of winning a large jackpot. So many people are hooked on the hope or the adrenaline rush while playing the game that they fail to realize the dangers of addiction and cause their families to suffer. The government is of no help to them though, because many have been using the same techniques for centuries. The lottery is ineffective and harmful because of its mental dangers, origins, and odds of winning.

Gambling can cause serious addictions and mental disorders. To begin, some people believe that they can control the need to gamble, but with all the new lottery games available, gambling can make people vulnerable to addiction

First, plenty of people claim that purchasing more tickets will increase a person’s odds at winning. However, “a person who buys a ticket in that lottery is forty times more likely to be hit by lightning than to win the jackpot” (“State Lotteries Prey on the Poor”). Lightning rarely ever strikes a single person, even if there is a person in reach. Second, the chances of winning the lottery are extremely low (“State Lotteries Prey on the Poor”). Millions of people are playing the lottery at this point in time, and there is a staggeringly low number of winners compared to the losers. The amount of money spent might also affect the winner. This, of course, depends on the lottery and the area. Third, out of every person playing, the odds can reach “up to 1 in 80 million” in large jackpots (“State Lotteries Prey on the Poor”). These odds stay the same no matter how many tickets a person buys because the number of tickets does not change, while the number of people who buy the tickets do. There is an extreme disadvantage to the everyday person in