And I feel you're making the same category error that I was responding to, that is to say it may not be a rational/risk reward calculation, but people who indulge in a small bit of irrationality are having fun and people who indulge in large bits of irrationality significantly damaging their already damaged finances have a problem.

>Remember that the lottery is effectively the same game

I believe running the numbers was guaranteed never to pay out significantly because it was rigged, the lottery is just statistically against you.