It actually seems rational to me in many cases.  If your very poor, but not so poor that a dollar per week makes a huge difference, then buying a lottery ticket makes sense.  While the expected value of the ticket is less than a $1 -- given you only live once -- you&#x27;re betting on the fact that there is a slight chance in this one life you might hit it big.<p>That seems completely rational to me.  Especially if the odds of improving your lot substantially via other means is also low -- and not contingent on the accumulated $1 you spend on lottery.