Why do people gamble?

Millions of Americans play lottery games, especially big games like Powerball, which is a multistate lottery run by a central consortium and supported by 25-plus states that sell tickets. But considering that the chance of winning Powerball is one in 80 million, why do so many people still play? Harvard College senior Emily Oster, Class of 2002, decided to investigate the allure of lotteries for her senior thesis. Oster says that researchers in different fields have "wildly different ideas" about why people play the lottery. Sociologists, for example, believe that people play because of their social networks, with the lottery giving them something to talk about with their friends on a regular basis. Psychologists say that playing the lottery is a response to feeling lucky or being in a good mood. Economists believe the lottery is about people wanting more money, but not understanding they have virtually no chance of actually winning. And Oster has her own ideas: she believes that many people who buy tickets are simply "addicted to the fun." Oster's research is supported by a Harvard College Research Program grant.