Let’s first get out of the way the fact that the lottery is a tax on poor people. Those who can do simple math understand the odds are against them, though it’s widely played by low-income Americans hoping to break free from debt and poverty.
The lottery preys upon hopes and dreams. With a one in 292 million odds of winning tonight’s $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot (yet another record), imagine all the people tapping their resources to play the silly game that most everyone will lose.
Advancing Time blog’s Bruce Wilds said Americans are being inflicted with “lotto madness” as the Powerball jackpot continues to soar. He said, “for many people a Powerball ticket is a cheap trip down fantasy lane for the poor it is throwing away money they can’t afford.”
The Powerball lottery jackpot continues to grow after no winning tickets were sold for Saturday’s drawing of an estimated $1.6 billion. The last winner was on Aug. 3 in Pennsylvania.
