I bought my first lottery ticket recently.
It was a $20 scratch-off that paid me a $40 prize.
Winning produced a nice little thrill, so I bought another $20 ticket right away. And lost.
I put out $40 to win $40 that day.
I’ve bought three $20 scratch-offs since then and won nothing.
To date, I’ve paid out $100 to win $40.
The house always wins in the end.
Still, some people enjoy big pa...