[yaberacer]

The problem with this analysis is that it compares the probability of winning the lottery with the probability of a whole bunch of bad things happening to you. Who cares if the chances of winning the lottery are less than being hit by an asteroid? Most people don't want to be hit by an asteroid, but on the other hand most people think that winning the lottery would be very nice indeed. The probability of winning of the lottery if you buy one ticket is infinitesimal, but the probability of winning if you don't buy one is zero. I figure that a dollar or two a week buys me the pleasant feeling that perhaps I might be the lucky one - cheap entertainment by any measure. As to the fact that 1/3 of the population thinks that winning the lottery is their only chance to become financially secure, I'm surprised it's not more. This just reflects the fact that many people are just barely getting by, and their chances of becoming 'financially secure' are not much better than their chances of winning the lottery. However, if any people are out there spending a lot of money on the lottery, money that they need, or should be saving, STOP IT! Even if you buy a lot of tickets, your chances of winning are still infinitesimal.