A game of chance in which tokens are bought and a prize is chosen by random drawing: also, any undertaking involving selections by lot. Lottery arose from ancient practices of giving away property and slaves, and by the end of the 17th century it was common in many European countries to hold public lotteries to raise money for such things as building the British Museum, repairing bridges, and supplying a battery of guns for the defense of Philadelphia and rebuilding Faneuil Hall in Boston. The practice was later brought to the United States, where it proved popular as a painless way of raising taxes.
Americans spend $80 Billion annually on lottery tickets, a staggering number given the extremely low probability that anyone will ever win. The odds are so long that winning one ticket can wreak havoc on a person’s life: it is not uncommon for a winner to go bankrupt in a matter of years, and the stories of those who become depressed, divorced, or suicidal are numerous.
But there is a way to play the lottery more responsibly. Learn how to calculate all the possible combinations, avoid superstitions, and make a careful choice using a mathematical foundation. You will be a step ahead of those who use their gut feelings or rely on quote-unquote systems based on lucky numbers or stores or times of purchase. And be sure to avoid the big mistakes that everyone makes when picking numbers: don’t buy the cheapest or the most expensive tickets, and choose your number wisely.
