George Loewenstein, reporting for the Washington Post:
A fifth of Americans believe that winning the lottery is the most practical way for them to accumulate large savings, according to a 2006 survey by the Consumer Federation of America. More recently, a 2019 survey conducted by the investment app Stash found that about 40 percent of respondents, including 59 percent of millennials, think that winning the lottery could be a good way to fund retirement.
Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots have gotten much larger in recent years because both lotteries reduced the odds of winning. In 2015, Powerball added more numbers to the drawing, dramatically decreasing the chance of winning the jackpot, from 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292 million. The odds of winning the Mega Million jackpot are even lower: approximately 1 in 302 million.
Lottery is basically a form of additional tax you get to choose not to pay.
Also, this.