The odds are long, but people still play the lottery. Why? The answer is complex. People play lotteries for all sorts of reasons, including the desire to win big money, a belief that winning the lottery is a way to break free of bad luck or circumstances and a nebulous sense that the improbable chance of winning represents their last, best or only hope.

Some have attributed the growing popularity of lotteries to widening economic inequality, backed by newfound materialism asserting that anyone can become rich with enough effort or luck. Others have pointed to anti-tax movements that led lawmakers to seek alternative revenue sources, and lotteries seemed to fit the bill. Regardless of the reason, studies have shown that lottery play is disproportionately burdened by those with lower incomes.

A big part of lottery success comes down to strategy. Many experts recommend avoiding repeating number combinations, and choosing a mix of numbers that start with and end with different digits. Variety boosts your odds. Additionally, playing a smaller local lottery may be a better bet than participating in a national one that is more popular with millions of players.

In the NHL, the draft lottery is a chance for teams that don’t make the playoffs to land a highly touted player, like Boston University center Macklin Celebrini in 2024. But how does it work, and who has the best shot at landing that top pick? Here’s how the draft lottery works, and why a team doesn’t simply get its No. 1 overall pick based on its regular-season record.