What Makes Us Play the Lottery?

Have you ever wondered what makes us play the lottery? A new study reveals that unexpected positive events, such as an exceptionally sunny day, play a huge role in gambling decisions.

New York University’s study analyzed daily lottery purchases over two years. One of their findings is that unexpected sports wins and extraordinarily sunny days play a major role in gambling decisions. These positive events won’t increase the chances of winning, but they encourage to buy a lottery ticket.

Positive events encourage us to play the lottery

“Our study reveals how positive, but incidental unexpected outcomes, like sports and weather, can predict day-to-day lottery gambling in New York,” said Ross Otto, lead researcher of New York University. Their findings are in correlation with previous research, which concluded that people in good mood make riskier decisions.

USD 160,000 more spent on lottery tickets

According to the Association for Psychological Science, the researchers used “satellite-derived solar irradiance data to measure the amount of sunshine for each day.” They found that successful sports events and sunshine increase the purchase rates by 0,5%. The researchers say that after unexpected sport wins “approximately USD 160,000 more is spent on lottery gambling relative to an average day.”

USD 160,000 more spent on lottery tickets

If you’re in the mood to try your luck, make sure to buy your tickets at a trustworthy reseller. Read our guide ‘How to Find Safe Online Lottery Sites?’ for useful online lottery tips and explanations.